Anomalous
by contact-typhoon7
Summary: Amaya, Connor, and Greg are in seventh grade now, but the city still needs heroes. Having to keep track of Romeo's experiments, keep the nighttime villains in check, AND keep their home lives in order is a challenge for the PJ Masks Trio in this continuation of my earlier stories, Interesting Times and The Big Brother Chronicles. Cover art by Dappled-Catboy on Tumblr.
1. Preschool

The PJ Masks, Greg, Connor, Amaya, Catboy, Gekko, Owlette, PJ Robot, Luna Girl, Night Ninja, Romeo, etc are all © to their respective owners, presumably Romuald and Disney Junior. The only parts of this work that I claim ownership of are any characters aside from those just mentioned as belonging to Disney (e.g. Finn and the parents are all mine). I also own the story itself. Again, none of the characters owned by Romuald or Disney Junior are mine.

 _ **TRIGGER WARNING: GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF VIOLENCE AND MENTION OF DEATH/SUICIDE. READER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED!**_

Special thanks to Dapple-ishh on DeviantArt for working hard to produce the image used as the cover art for this story.

 **WARNING: STOP!** YOU ABSOLUTELY _MUST_ READ THE EVENTS IN MY PREVIOUS SERIES, _INTERESTING TIMES_ , BEFORE YOU READ THIS STORY! Also, I'd recommend giving the interceding series, _The Big Brother Chronicles_ , a read as well, as Finn's character is developed slightly in that series.

 **Keep in mind: This story skips ahead by a significant amount of time.**

It's worth noting that I typically like to denote short breaks in the story with a series of 3 asterisks. This site doesn't seem to like that, so I'm having to resort to using horizontal lines. After the first horizontal line in this chapter, all the rest denote short breaks in the story.

 **ALSO:** the characters are mostly teens in this story; as many teens do IRL, they will occasionally use coarse language in this story. **This will be my only warning; expect some cursing occasionally.**

 **Enjoy and please leave reviews! I enjoy hearing from you all! :)**

* * *

 **Early on a Tuesday morning,** Connor, Amaya, Greg, and Finn walked down the sidewalk together. Amaya and Connor walked next to each other in front, and Greg and Finn walked behind them, holding hands. They all had on backpacks; Finn's was comically small compared to the older kids, but it looked good on him. They reached a particularly wide driveway and Finn said, "This is it! See it Greg?"

His **twelve-year-old big brother,** Greg, nodded. "Yep, I see it buddy." The group stopped. "Alright, tell Connor and Amaya bye."

"Okay!" Finn ran up to Amaya and she crouched down to hug the little blonde boy. "Bye, Amaya!"

"Bye, Finn. Have a good day, sweet boy." Amaya stood up when Finn finished hugging her; there was a funny smile on her face.

Next, Finn ran over to Connor. The older boy crouched down and they stared into each other's eyes for a moment. As was their tradition, Connor gently touched Finn's cheek. Finn's powder blue eyes had dark blue circles around the irises and little flecks of ice blue that dotted around inside Finn's irises. To say his eyes were unique was a distinct understatement.

After a few seconds, Finn touched Connor's cheek. A few seconds later, Finn was satisfied that they had completed the ritual. He smiled and gave Connor a big hug. "Bye, Connor!"

Connor hugged Finn back slowly and deliberately; he enjoyed the warmth that the little one brought to his heart. "Bye, Finny; we'll see you later."

Finn broke the hug after a few seconds. He looked back over at Greg, and then he ran over to him. They made eye contact. Greg said, "Alright." He took a breath. "Will you hold my hand? _I'm_ scared." Greg held out his hand; he had lied, of course. He was not afraid of where they were going to go. Instead, Greg felt a sense of dread about what he was about to do. At the same time, he also felt a sense of accomplishment and he was very proud of Finn. It was a very complex mixture of emotions, and Greg was feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Finn made a confused face. "Why you scared, Greggy?"

Greg shrugged. "I don't know. I need my Super Finn to make me feel better." He lied again, of course. He would never dare admit to Finn that he wanted the little one to stay little and cute forever. After all, what kind of message would that send? Little boys have to grow up, and Greg was proud that Finn was such a well-behaved, smart little boy.

Finn made a funny grin and then held his hand out. "Okay. Super Finn to the rescue!"

Finn took Greg's hand, and they walked up the concrete walkway as a car pulled in next to them. Behind them, Amaya placed her hand over her heart and made a sad face at Connor. Once Greg and Finn were out of earshot, Connor quietly said, "He's actually doing a really good job of keeping it together. Finn has no idea that Greg is on the verge of crying."

Amaya mumbled, "If Greg cries, I will too." Connor wrapped his arm around her shoulder and the two thirteen-year olds stood there.

Connor patted her shoulder and said, "It'll be okay." Amaya nodded and sniffled as they watched what Greg and Finn were doing

Greg held onto Finn's little hand as if it was a precious piece of treasure. Greg looked around the area; he wanted to remember this moment. Heck, he wished he could live in it. The trees were green and the sun was shining over the area. It was going to be another hot summer day, but an overall great day to play. The building they were walking toward had a sign on it. An apple was centered on it, and below that, it said, "Learning City Preschool and Daycare." Greg smiled happily with Finn as they walked.

Greg and Finn turned up the walkway, and they stepped up onto the porch. A parent and child got out of the car behind them, and Greg sighed. "Come on, kiddo." They stepped into the building, and Greg walked over with Finn to the appropriate doorway once they were inside.

The sounds of little children playing filled the air. Finn smiled excitedly. Greg said, "Ready to go play and learn today?"

Finn said, "Yeah! I'm gonna play in the blocks today!"

Greg smiled halfheartedly. "Alright. Well. Can I have a kiss and a hug, and then you can go play?" A woman was standing at one of several tables in the classroom. She made eye contact with Greg and nodded.

"Okay!" Finn leaned over and gave Greg a kiss on the cheek. Greg kissed the three-year-old back, and they hugged. Finn wiggled after a few seconds; he was eager to go play.

Greg said, "I love you, Finn. Behave today."

Finn quickly replied, "Wuv you, Greggy."

Greg let him down, and the little blonde boy went over to a cubby on the wall and put his stuff down. Finn had already been to school yesterday, so he knew his way around. Greg's mom had brought Finn here yesterday, though, so this was Greg's first time doing it.

The teacher said, "Hi, Finn!" The red-haired woman walked over to Greg. "Hi. Will you sign the sheet so we know he's here?" She pointed to a binder on the table next to the entrance. "You must be… Greg, right?"

Greg looked traumatized, and after a few seconds of watching Finn, he finally said, "Uh, yeah, that's me." He grabbed the pen next to the binder and signed the spot next to Finn's name.

The teacher said, "Well, I'm Miss Kate. I'm the lead teacher. Your mom told me that you would bring Finn most days."

Greg looked up at her and nodded. "Yeah." He could not think of anything to say. His little brother was in preschool and that freaked him out. It seemed like yesterday that Greg had first visited Finn in the NICU after he was born.

Kate put a hand on Greg's shoulder. "Your mom also told me that you love him a lot and you're very protective of him." She looked over toward Finn for a few seconds. "Don't worry. We'll take good care of him."

Greg pouted; the woman had found the thing that was troubling Greg. "You promise?"

Kate nodded. "I promise."

Greg felt a bit better, but not much. "Well… Thanks." He sighed, and felt a lump in his throat as he watched Finn playing in the block center with a few other boys and girls. "Have a nice day." He walked back out the door.

"You have a nice day too, Greg."

As he left the building and walked back to Connor and Amaya, Greg felt better and better. Everything will be okay.

When Greg approached Amaya and Connor, Amaya asked, "Well, how'd it go?"

"I–I'm okay." Greg's voice cracked and he laughed awkwardly. He sniffled.

Amaya walked over to Greg. "You don't look okay…" She hugged him.

Greg laughed. "I guess I'm not okay." Amaya let him go, and Greg said, "But I'm not feeling terrible or anything. I'll live."

Connor sighed and said, "I don't get why you two are so emotional about Finn going to preschool. It's not like he's going to kindergarten. He's got two whole years before he's actually in school." Pause. "Besides, this is super cool! He's gonna make friends his age and have a fun time."

Greg rubbed his eyes and they started walking. "Y-yeah, but he's growing up. He's not the little kiddo that calls you 'Nonnor' anymore."

Connor shrugged. "Yeah, that was cute, but he's still pretty cute now. Plus, we're really close to when he'll be able to read with you or draw pictures with me or make up even crazier pretend games with Amaya." Connor was picking on Greg a bit now; sometimes that helped bring the blonde boy out of his sadness. "Heck, he'll probably be able to think of rhymes easier than you do, Greg."

Greg lightly pushed Connor and laughed. "Shut up! He's already growing up too quickly."

Amaya laughed. "Man, what a way to start the day." Amaya smirked. "Romeo would tell us we're illogical." They all laughed at that remark.

Connor said, "Besides, Greg, what would Mandy say if she knew you were upset about your little brother going to preschool?" Connor somewhat enjoyed picking on Greg about the girl at school that he had a crush on; it was a sure way to get a rise out of the blonde preteen.

Greg raised a hand and made an angry face, but before Greg could respond, Amaya said, "She would probably think it was cute and sweet, because he's such a good big brother."

Greg made a prideful look. "Yeah, she'd think it was cute, Connor." He stuck out his tongue.

Connor scratched his head; they had outmaneuvered him on that one. He did not think that one through well enough. "Uh, fair enough."

* * *

 **Later, at night,** Greg sat on his bed, concentrating hard. He had his legs crossed and his eyes were closed.

Inside his mind, Greg was far away from his bedroom. He was in a forest and it was daytime. Strangely, he was not wearing clothes; his muscular frame flexed and moved gracefully as he moved. He walked along until he found a particular tree; he knew it was the right one by the branches on it. It was like a waking dream; he was in control of himself and he remembered things.

Greg sat down against the tree and enjoyed the cool feel of the ground and the tree against his skin. He said, "Koozye?" His voice echoed quietly.

There was a _poof_ and a shimmering green lizard appeared next to Greg. The lizard was large; it was almost as long as Greg is tall. A soothing female voice said, "Hello, Greg. How are you, today?"

The lizard, whose full name was Ogehàwashkoozye, was Greg's spirit animal, the source of his powers. They had finally met for the first time earlier this year. Connor and Amaya had met their spirit animals, too. Since then, the kids would always have a talk with their spirit animals once weekly, often more. The spirit animals had each taught the children a few ways for them to communicate. One of them was as easy as placing two fingers on their power bracelets. Despite the ease of the other methods, Greg preferred to contact Koozye the way he was doing it now.

Greg said, "I'm okay. I was just excited to talk to you today."

Koozye placed one of her scaly feet onto Greg's leg. "Oh? I saw that you had an eventful morning." Through their power bracelets, the spirit animals kept track of what the children were doing.

Greg nodded. "Yep. Aren't you proud of me? I didn't cry when I dropped Finn off at preschool today."

Koozye replied, "Indeed, I am. I told you that could contain yourself; it was a happy occasion for him, even if it made you a bit sad."

Greg nodded; Koozye was a very wise being. Even though Greg had only known her personally for a short time, he recognized that her wisdom was an asset for him. "You're right. He has to grow up." Greg did not have much else to say to Koozye; she knew how his day had went.

Koozye made an amused sound. "Indeed. Connor spoke wisely to you and Amaya when you were done. Finn will make new friends, grow, and learn there. It will be a positive thing for everyone."

Greg nodded and allowed a happy feeling to ooze through him. Something came to his mind, though. "Koozye?"

"Yes, little one?"

Greg smiled inwardly; she always called him little, even though he was bigger than she was. "Why am I always naked when we talk in my mind like this?"

Koozye paced around the tree, to Greg's other side. "That is a question that you know the answer to, Greg. It may not be apparent to you, though." She blinked at him slowly.

Greg tapped his chin and thought hard. "I mean, I don't often walk through forests naked, so… I don't know. Can you help me? I feel like there's a poetic reason."

Koozye blinked, and replied, "Your appearance here is partly a reflection of who you truly are." Pause. "Allow me to put it this way… Has it ever been said that you wear your heart on your sleeve?"

Greg nodded. "Yeah, people have said that about me before."

Koozye said, "Rightly so; you are a person who typically expresses his true emotions without hesitation. In the world outside of your mind, your mind and heart are naked; they show their current states without any need for protective layers. That is why you appear naked inside your own mind when we speak like this." Koozye walked to a nearby tree and began to climb it.

Greg raised an eyebrow and then shrugged. "Thanks for explaining it."

Koozye turned onto a large branch and stayed there. "Does that fact make you uncomfortable?"

Greg scratched his head. "No." He stood up. "I was just considering how much that makes sense. You know… When I'm Gekko, if someone hurts one of my friends, I get angry and I can become… violent." He looked off into the forest.

Koozye soothingly said, "I know. You are gentle; you do not like to hurt." Pause. "It is not a sin to commit violence to defend those you love, Greg."

Greg looked up at her and smiled. "Thank you, Koozye."

The shimmering lizard blinked. "You're welcome." Greg yawned, and Koozye added, "Perhaps it is time we part ways."

Greg scratched his head. "Good idea… Good night, Koozye."

"Good night, little one. Sleep well."

The forest faded away, and Greg opened his eyes. He was back in his room. He looked down at his body; he had clothes on again. He smiled and stretched to release the tension in his stiff muscles. "Bedtime." He moved under the covers and started getting comfortable.


	2. Enter PJ Robot

Post two chapters in rapid succession because I feel bad about delaying the release of the first chapters here on ff.

It's worth noting that I typically like to denote short breaks in the story with a series of 3 asterisks. This site doesn't seem to like that, so I'm having to resort to using horizontal lines. After the first horizontal line in this chapter, all the rest denote short breaks in the story. **There are author notes at the end of the story, after the last horizontal line**.

* * *

 **A few weeks later,** Greg and Finn walked together down the street. It was a warm day, and they were leaving the park. Greg scratched his head. He was supposed to meet Connor at HQ soon, but he had not remembered that when he left the house with Finn. During the day, the PJ Masks allowed nobody but themselves into HQ. Even at night, only Romeo and, infrequently, Armadylan were allowed into the HQ. That posed a problem.

Finn said, "Greg!"

Greg snapped back to reality. "Huh?"

Finn looked bored; he asked, "Where we goin'?"

Greg blinked; he realized that he had stopped to cross the street and never moved. "Uhm. Good question…" He made a decision; Finn just turned four last week. He can keep a secret. "…We're going to see Connor. Come on." Greg turned and they headed back toward HQ.

Finn jumped excitedly as he walked with Greg. "Yay, Connor!"

* * *

 **A few minutes later,** Greg and Finn walked up the stairs at PJ Masks HQ. Finn said, "Wow! The door opened by itself, Greg!"

Greg laughed. "Yep, it did, kiddo. It's a special door." Once they reached the top of the stairs, Greg opened the door and let Finn into Catboy's HQ Room. Greg followed and said, "Connor!"

As Finn looked around the room in awe, Connor replied, "Heya Greg!" He and PJ Robot looked over from the couch and Connor flatly said, "Oh… and Finn."

PJ Robot beeped excitedly and flew over to them. When he got there, Finn screeched and exclaimed, "Awesome, it's a robot!" He jumped up and down excitedly. In the distance, Connor stared at Greg.

PJ Robot beeped happily and reached a hand out to the little one. Greg said, "PJ Robot, this is Finn." PJ Robot beeped with a friendly tone. Greg added, "Finn, this is PJ Robot. Wanna play with him?" Finn nodded quickly. "Alright, PJ Robot, will you take Finn to play? I think the toys are in the treehouse."

PJ Robot beeped understandingly and took Finn's hand. They flew up to the treehouse, and Greg ran over to Connor, who had stood up and started walking in Greg's direction. When they met, Connor said, "Dude. Really?"

Greg said, "What? It's just Finn. He can keep a secret. Even if he doesn't, whoever he tells will just think it's a pretend game we came up with or something."

Connor sighs. Greg is probably right; even if Finn doesn't keep HQ a secret, nobody would believe him anyway. "Fine. I guess it's cool to bring him here sometimes…"

Greg smiled and teasingly said, "C'mon, I bet Waysa would be okay with it." Waysa was a blue cat with a bit of a temper; he was Connor's spirit animal, of course, so that made sense.

Connor pouted. "I don't need Waysa's okay for it. He wouldn't care, anyway."

Greg poked Connor's ribs and said, "Oh, come on. Lighten up, sourpuss."

Connor cracked a slight smile; he liked the ticklish feeling when someone poked him like that. "Well… Alright." He looked up in the treehouse where PJ Robot was playing with Finn. "You know, it has been a while since we've used those toys in the treehouse anyways." Finn made an excited squeal as PJ Robot did something amusing. Connor's smile turned into a grin.

Greg smiled. "See, that's better. Now, come on, we have to work on that castle project for social studies. Did you bring your art supplies from home?"

Connor nodded, "Yeah, I brought everything that we'll need to make the castle model." He walked over with Greg toward the couch.

From the treehouse, Finn yelled, "Greg! Does PJ Wobot have a laser?"

Without turning his head, Greg replied, "Yes, but he's only allowed to use it on bad guys!"

Finn screeched. "Cool!"

* * *

 **Late that night, in space,** a large machine orbited the Earth; it was Romeo's mobile lab! Inside the cockpit, a red light flashed on and off as Romeo frantically worked to get a space suit on. "Come on, come on…" There was a massive BANG on the door that led into the lab portion of the mobile lab. A dent appeared.

As he worked frantically, an alarm tone sounded once and a computer voice said, "Warning. Self-destruct sequence in progress. Fusion generator overload in T minus one minute thirty seconds. Option to override will expire at T-minus 30 seconds."

There was another bang against the door and something on the other side roared. Another, deeper dent formed on the door. Romeo finished putting on the suit and said, "Computer, prepare to launch escape pod! Program an escape course for landing zone epsilon!" BANG! BANG! The door into the cockpit was going to come off its hinges soon. A metallic shutter encased the cockpit glass and sealed the area between it and the door to the lab.

As Romeo put his helmet on, the computer replied, "Escape course laid in, standing by for pod launch."

Once Romeo locked the helmet in, fear flashed through his eyes. He sat down in the chair and the mobile lab started to rumble. The computer said, "Warning! The option to abort the self-destruct sequence has expired! Fusion generator going critical in T minus thirty seconds." BANG! Something collided with the metal screen between him and the door and Romeo heard a deafening roar.

Romeo knew it was way past time to go. "Computer! Launch escape pod!"

The computer said, "Bye Bye."

There was a loud explosion and Romeo and the cockpit flew away at a speed that made Romeo feel like he was going to be mushed into the seat. Romeo breathed heavily and closed his eyes. Something caused the escape pod to tumble end-over-end, and he gritted his teeth.

A quickly repeated alarm sounded and the computer said, "Warning! Attitude control has failed!"

Romeo said, "Switch to backup!" Romeo felt like he was going to throw up.

"Backup engaged."

The tumbling stopped, and Romeo said, "Computer, recompute escape course and execute necessary course adjustments!" He touched a knob on the front of his suit and adjusted the flow of oxygen; he was feeling dizzy.

"Course recomputed." The pod rumbled and Romeo looked at the altimeter; they had reentered the atmosphere. The pod jerked suddenly and the computer said, "Danger! Number three thruster has failed. Attempting to compensate."

Romeo held his breath and watched the instruments. "Dammit, dammit, dammit! We're coming in too fast." His thoughts raced through his head wildly. "Computer, send a message to Amaya. Inform her of our landing position and tell her I need help because of a crash landing."

"Understood. Message sent."

Romeo nervously asked, "How long to touchdown, computer?"

"Touch down in one minute twenty-three seconds."

Romeo gritted his teeth and held on; the parachute would deploy soon.

* * *

 **In Amaya's room,** she awoke to her communicator ringing. "Huh?" She fumbled around for her glasses, and once she found them, she grabbed her communicator and read a message. "From Romeo… Crash landing? Wha–why? Bah, some genius he is, can't even land a ship the right way..."

She sighed and stood up. "Ugh, Owlette to the rescue, I suppose…" She hit the glowing bracelet on her wrist, and a bright red light flashed.

* * *

AUTHOR NOTE: I just wanted to give credit where it's due; the self-destruct sequence idea for Romeo's lab was something I came up with from the _USCSS-Nostromo_ 's distress sequence in the movie _Alien_.

 _...Also, if anyone is interested, I have also written an_ _"unofficial" thingy that happens in between chapters one and two. It isn't vital to the storyline of the series, and, because of its content, I will not be posting it on here. If you're interested in reading it, though, send me a message and I will give you some details and a link to give it a look..._


	3. A Full Day

Thanks for the reviews, all. Much appreciated! Enjoy chapter 3!

It's worth noting that I typically like to denote short breaks in the story with a series of 3 asterisks. This site doesn't seem to like that, so I'm having to resort to using horizontal lines. After the first horizontal line in this chapter, all the rest denote short breaks in the story. **There are author notes at the end of the story, after the last horizontal line**.

* * *

 **Shortly later,** the Owl Glider circled around an area of forest. Several small fires burned on the trees below, and there was a small crater in the ground. Owlette brought the glider down and left it hovering so that the headlight beams shone on the crater. She flew out of the glider and said, "Dang."

She flew overhead of the crater, where a metallic pod was inside the crater, smoking. "Romeo?" She flew close and said, "Super Owl Wing Wind!" She flapped her arms and her wings glowed red as a gust of wind blew on the escape pod, cooling it down.

Owlette landed in the crater nearby the pod. Just when she did, it broke apart with a _crack_ like a giant egg and the top half of it shot away from them. In the lower half, there was Romeo, space suit and all, sitting on the chair, surrounded by the controls. "Romeo!"

Romeo was not in great shape. His helmet had shattered and there was a big gash on his head that had coated part of his face in warm, red blood. He coughed and said, "Hey there… I see you got my message." He coughed again and moved his arms. "Ow."

Owlette flew over and frantically asked, "Are you okay?"

Romeo moved his head a bit and then his legs. "I think so. The cut isn't as bad as it looks." He stood up and said, "Ow, my head." Pause. "Don't touch me, by the way; I try not to bleed on cute girls."

Owlette sighed at the joke. She said, "PJ Robot! Bring the first aid kit!" Overhead, PJ Robot flew out of the Owl Glider. "What the heck happened? Where's the mobile lab?"

PJ Robot arrived and beeped a few times as he opened up a first aid kit. Romeo said, "I was orbiting over the Pacific when the fusion generator in the lab had a control rod failure. I had to make a quick escape." He wasn't technically lying about that one… He just left out the part where he caused the fusion generator to have the control rod failure by activating the self-destruct sequence. Romeo winced as PJ Robot poked at the cut on his head with a wipe coated in alcohol. "Ow, dammit!"

Owlette eyed him oddly. "Why were you in space?"

There it was. The question Romeo had mentally prepared an answer for as he regained his senses and waited for her to get to the crash site. "I was, uhm, just playing in the zero gravity." Romeo was lying now, of course. He did not dare tell Owlette about the experiment. It was over with now. Nobody _ever_ needed to know what he had created up there.

Owlette sighed. "Well, that was stupid. You could've been killed."

Romeo snorted. "You have no idea. It was a rough landing…" PJ Robot beeped and held Romeo's head still as he dabbed some ointment on his head and started to bandage him up. Romeo growled, but held still. "I swear, I am making a freaking voice box for PJ Robot tomorrow. Every time he does first aid on me I don't know what's coming next."

PJ Robot made an amused beep as he continued bandaging Romeo's head. Owlette said, "Well, you definitely don't have a concussion, you're still the same ornery Romeo. Besides, if you'd stop doing dumb crap and getting hurt, you wouldn't need first aid."

Romeo smiled handsomely as PJ Robot finished wrapping up his head. He raised his middle finger quietly and stuck out his tongue.

Owlette laughed. "Oh, ha ha. Come on, let's take you back to your lab and get you cleaned up. Maybe we can use that dermal regenerator of yours to close up that gash before your parents see it in the morning."

Romeo nodded, "Yeah, good idea."

* * *

 **Early the next morning,** Connor jogged mindlessly on the treadmill in his garage. Though he was jogging at a reasonable speed, a glance at his eyes would confirm that Connor wasn't in the garage, mentally.

Mentally, Connor was deep inside his mind, on top of a tall building. He jogged along the rooftops and jumped from skyscraper to skyscraper, with agility like a cat; like Catboy. A neon blue cat followed alongside him. Despite the acrobatic moves he was making, Connor didn't even sound breathless when he said, "Waysa?"

Connor had been in the waking dream with Waysa for quite some time, now, but neither of them had said a word. Waysa, with his crackly voice, replied, "Yes?"

"How are you today?"

Waysa made an amused sound. "I am well, child… Is there something on your mind? You're quiet this morning."

Connor sighed and replied, "Yeah." The scene around them transitioned into something completely different. They were on the roof of Connor's house, and the full moon was out. Connor was laid out with his hands clasped behind his head.

Waysa, Connor's spirit animal, trotted onto Connor's chest. "You're annoyed at Greg for yesterday, aren't you?" Connor nodded and Waysa stretched his claws out into Connor's chest very lightly. "Because he brought the small one to headquarters?" Connor made an amused smile; for some reason, Waysa liked to refer Greg's little brother, Finn, as 'small one.'

Connor sat up and Waysa hopped down beside him. "Yeah, pretty much. I mean, what if Finn tells someone about HQ and they believe him?"

Waysa laid down in Connor's lap. He looked up at the moon as he replied, "He doesn't remember it."

Connor said, "Huh?"

Waysa twitched his tail and said, "Connor. Do not tell me you have never wondered why nobody but the nighttime villains and that armadillo-thing knows about your HQ. Surely you must have considered it at some point."

Connor blinked. "Nope." Connor sometimes lacked Waysa's catlike curiosity.

Waysa quickly replied, "Well, in that case, I'll explain. Nobody but them know about your HQ because Koozye, Night Eagle, and I actively use our powers to keep the town from noticing HQ. They see it, but it does not stick in their minds." Koozye and Night Eagle were Greg and Amaya's spirit animals, respectively.

Connor said, "Huh, no kidding?"

Waysa nodded. "Indeed."

Connor hastily replied, "I _have_ wondered how our parents have never walked in and found out we're not there some nights. Are you three responsible for that, too?"

Waysa disappeared from Connor's lap, and reappeared on his head, with his tail lazily draping over the boy's face. "Yes, we are. Koozye also keeps a special lookout on Finn; she was the one that made his recollection of the HQ disappear from his mind when he left. We figured Greg would bring him there eventually."

Connor reached up on top of his head and scratched Waysa behind his ears. "So, you three protect us from being discovered? How do the villains know our identities, then?"

Waysa said, "We protect you from being made public. As for the villains, well, the answer to that question is complex. In all things, there must be balance, and to maintain the balance, we cannot directly interfere with the villains. That is your job."

Waysa disappeared and then reappeared on the edge of the roof, walking along it to demonstrate balance. Connor said, "Alright."

It was silent for a moment, and Waysa decided to turn around and walk back over to Connor. "Why are you so quiet? That wasn't the only reason you were angry."

Connor sighed. He had difficulty getting anything past Waysa. "Well, I just wanted to have some alone time with Greg, yesterday; he always has Finn with him, these days, though."

Waysa said, "Why? Does the small one bother you? Do you not love him?"

Connor replied, "I love Finn like the little brother I never had, it's just… I don't know, I wanted to hang out with Greg without Finn around. Is that a bad thing?"

Waysa raised his ears. "Not at all. In fact, you should tell Greg about that. They probably need to spend some time apart at some point, too."

Connor pouted. "Good idea, I suppose."

Waysa swatted his paw at Connor's hand. "Don't sulk; it makes you look annoying. Just do what I said."

Connor stuck his tongue out at Waysa. "Fine, I'll do it."

Waysa flatly replied, "I will bite your tongue off, child." A slight chuckle sounded after that.

Connor snickered. "Was that a joke, Waysa?"

Waysa replied, "Yes."

Connor laughed. "You said it so intensely that I couldn't tell."

Waysa seemed to raise the area of fur above one of his eyes. He said, "I'll attempt to work on that."

Connor nodded and stood up. "Thanks for the advice, though."

Waysa said, "One more thing." Connor raised an eyebrow. "Avoid roasted cabbage, today."

Connor furrowed his brow. "Uhm… I… Uh… Why?" Connor normally liked roasted cabbage, though he was not sure why that would come up today.

Waysa sternly replied, " _Just do it._ "

Connor blinked a few times before he acquiesced. "Okay, I will." There was a pause as they made awkward eye contact. Finally, Connor said, "Well, I'm gonna go then, Waysa."

Waysa flashed his teeth and said, "Happy hunting."

"Happy hunting, Waysa." Then, everything faded away, and Connor was on the treadmill in his garage, jogging. He stopped the treadmill and breathlessly said, "What the hell does cabbage have to do with anything?" After a few seconds to contemplate that, Connor heard his mother shout for him. He grabbed his towel from its spot on the control panel and wiped his head before he went inside to get ready for school.

* * *

 **Later that evening,** at Greg's house, Linda was bringing a suitcase out of her room. Greg followed her along the way and said, "So, you're okay with me inviting Mandy over, right?"

Linda looked him over. "Greg, you can bring anyone you want over here if you clean your blasted room. It looks like a tornado tore through it. I will not have anyone over here thinking we live like slobs because you won't clean up."

Greg raised an eyebrow. With a witty tone, he said, "What about Connor and Amaya?"

Linda walked back toward her bedroom and Greg followed as she replied, "Connor and Amaya know that we're not slobs. Besides, I would be careful with that mouth of yours young man. You _are not_ too old for me to spank." Her voice was not threatening; it was a mere statement of fact. "Besides, I'm sure Finn would enjoy seeing big brother get a spanking for once." Linda put on a suit jacket; she was dressed up well, tonight.

Greg frowned. "Yes ma'am." After a few seconds, he meekly asked, "So, if I clean my room, I can have her over?"

Linda nodded, "Yes, but your father has to be here. And you'll have to clear it with him, too."

Greg grinned; he had already asked his dad about it earlier. His dad had said to ask his mother. "Okay. Thanks, mom!"

Linda picked up a briefcase and said, "Alright, almost time for my shuttle to be here."

Greg held his hand out. "I'll take that, Mrs. Edmonds."

Linda laughed. "Trying to butter me up now, are you?" In reply, Greg made a stupidly wide grin and Linda rolled her eyes. "Fine then, take the briefcase."

Greg took the briefcase and followed his mother through the house. As they approached the front door, they heard screaming and giggling. They stopped and peaked into the living room. Greg and Linda laughed at the sight.

In there, Alan was barely managing to hold onto Finn with a towel; the child was naked and wiggly. Alan saw Greg laughing and said, "Hey, if you think it's so funny, Greg, wait until you're the one in charge for a few nights when I do my ER night shifts at the hospital."

Finn goofily imitated Alan, saying, "Yeah, Greggy, if you think it's funny, just wait!" He wiggled once more and slipped from Alan's grasp. He ran over to Greg licked the elder boy's free arm.

Greg hopped backwards and his voice cracked when he said, "Gross, Finn!" Greg apparently made a funny face when that happened; Alan about died laughing as Greg wiped his arm off on his shirt.

Linda sighed and quickly snatched Finn up. "I cannot believe I'm about to leave you three here by yourselves for a week." She very lightly swatted the child's bottom. There was a distinct _smack_ and he held still.

Finn cried, "Ow, mommy!"

Linda looked him in the eyes and sternly said, " _Finn H Edmonds,_ you know better! You keep your tongue in your mouth, young man. Do you understand me?"

Finn grunted and pouted just like Greg did earlier. "Yessss!" The boy didn't cry over swats on the bottom, usually; they just made him do his best to be tough and show no pain.

Linda said, "Good; don't forget it. You had better behave for big brother when daddy isn't home. If you don't listen to Greg, you can count on spankings just like that one. Am I clear?" Finn nodded and crossed his arms angrily, huffing. Linda was unfazed; she said, "Good. Now, go get dressed so you can give me a hug and a bye-bye kiss."

Finn bit his lip, and then said, "Okay." Linda sat him down and he walked over to Alan.

Alan, in the background, had straightened up from his laughing; he took Finn's hand. As they left the room, Alan said, "You know you love us, Linda!"

Linda smiled and looked over at Greg, who added his own contribution: that big stupid grin from a few minutes ago. Linda laughed lightly, "You guys don't always make it easy, that's for sure." Linda grabbed her suitcase just as a car horn honked outside. She shouted, "Hurry Alan, I want a hug from that squirmy boy!"

"Gotcha! Super Finn and Doctor Dad to the rescue!" Finn screeched amusedly right after that.

Finn screamed, "Super-duper Finny!"

Greg snorted and quietly said. "If I had crossed my arms at you like Finn did a minute ago, you would've whacked me."

Linda laughed, "Yeah probably, but you're almost 13, Greg. You know better because you mostly understand how to be respectful." Linda wrapped an arm around the boy and gave him a half hug. "Finn is four. He's still learning to control his feelings and impulses."

Greg opened the front door and said, "Yeah, I know. Just giving you a hard time."

Linda smiled back. "I know sweetie." She let go of Greg. Then, she reached out the front door and waved at the airport shuttle van parked out front.

Greg said, "By the way, Connor and Amaya told me to tell you to have a safe flight to your business conference."

Linda replied, "Well, you tell them I said thanks and I love them." Greg nodded.

In the distance, Alan shouted, "I hope the shuttle driver has seen little boys in their underwear before, because that's what Super Finn has on and is running toward you with, Linda!"

Greg and Linda turned and looked at each other. Greg sighed, "It's gonna be a long week, isn't it?"

Linda shrugged, "Maybe for you three. I'm flying first class to and from the meeting and it's in Galveston. Beaches and plenty of sunshine for momma this week. And the company is paying for most of it, too."

Greg rolled his eyes and looked over just in time to see Finn sprinting toward them. It was definitely going to be a long week with that little bundle of energy in the house.

* * *

 _AUTHOR NOTE: ...Also, if anyone is interested, I have also written an_ _"unofficial" thingy that happens in between chapters one and two. It isn't vital to the storyline of the series, and, because of its content, I will not be posting it on here. If you're interested in reading it, though, send me a message and I will give you some details and a link to give it a look..._


	4. The Anomaly

It's worth noting that I typically like to denote short breaks in the story with a series of 3 asterisks. This site doesn't seem to like that, so I'm having to resort to using horizontal lines. After the first horizontal line in this chapter, all the rest denote short breaks in the story.

* * *

 **The next afternoon,** Greg and Connor stepped off the bus and waved goodbye to Amaya as she went in the opposite direction. They walked down the street together, and once they were clear of the other children, Greg said, "Thanks for coming with me to get Finn. It gets kinda boring walking there alone."

Connor said, "No problem."

"You said that you want to hang out more?"

Connor scratched his head. "Yeah."

Greg looked confused. "I mean, you're already over at my house all the time. You're practically Finn's second big brother, y'know."

Connor sighed. "See, that's kind of the problem. I love Finn dearly, and I am glad he loves me, too, but… Well, it gets old having him around all the time… I want to do teenager things with you. Like, I want to occasionally be able to say the word shit around you outside of school."

Now it was Greg's turn to scratch his head, although Connor's last sentence left him snickering. "Oh, okay. I see what you mean, now." They continued walking, and Greg was silent.

After almost half a minute of silence, Connor was worried that he had offended his friend somehow. "I mean, it's a stupid suggestion. Forget it."

Greg cracked a smile; it was exceedingly rare that Connor backtracked like that. "No, Connor, it's okay. I agree. I could use some time away from Finn, too. It does get a bit tiring sometimes. I mean, I'm basically parent number three."

Connor made a surprised look. "Really?"

Greg nodded. "Yeah. I can try to let him stay home with mom or dad more often. We can hang at your house some days, too."

Connor grinned. "Cool."

Greg wagged his finger. "But probably not this week; mom isn't in town and dad needs my help with Finn."

Connor nodded. After a few seconds, he said, "Hey, don't forget; the moon is gonna be full Friday night and Saturday night. The Wolfies will be out and about."

Greg sighed and said, "Ugh, dammit. I forgot about that." The Wolfies were predictable, but they were definitely not Greg's favorite villains. Except for Kevin. He is alright, sometimes…

* * *

 **Later that day,** at Romeo's lab, there was a green flash, and Amaya appeared in the entranceway. She slipped the teleporter into her pocket, and then looked around. "Romeo!"

"Come on back! I'm busy!"

Amaya walks through the short hallway and into the lab, where she finds Romeo seated in front of a large computer screen. "What're you so busy with that you couldn't come up front for 10 seconds to welcome me here?"

Romeo said, "Listen to this." He snapped his fingers and said, "Jarvis! Replay the sound clip."

Amaya raised an eyebrow and listened as the computer voice, with a vaguely British accent, replied, "Yes, sir."

Several repeated tones played. After a few seconds, it was clear there was a pattern. When it was over with, Amaya tapped her chin and said, "Morse code? AND when did you rename your AI to Jarvis?"

Romeo scratched his head; he was somewhat embarrassed, now. "Well, uh, I renamed the AI Jarvis earlier this month. I mean, Ironman is cool, right? Tony Stark the playboy billionaire. I wanna be just like that guy." He paused for a second and felt his ears turning warm. He finished by adding, "Uh, yes, though, it is Morse code."

Amaya shook her head, despite releasing a few chuckles. Romeo was cute when he blushed. "You're such a fanboy." Pause. "What'd the message say?"

"It was received on a frequency of 257.40 megahertz; it was directed straight at my lab. The message is weird, too." Romeo clicked on a different application and pulled up the message:

1701D PRIMARY SYS ACTIVE  
GRAVITON FIELD OUTPUT 625 MEGACOCHRANES.

REPLY WITH 10 NUMBERS OF FIBONACCI SEQUENCE STARTING 0 1.  
NEWTON GRAVITY CONSTANT G=6.67402 X 10 TO THE NEG 11. YOU?

Amaya reads the text. "Primary system active? This is all gibberish, aside from the Fibonacci sequence and gravitation constant."

Romeo wags a finger. "Not quite. The first two lines and the frequency it was sent on are a reference to the seventh _Star Trek_ film."

Amaya tapped her chin. " _Star Trek: Generations?_ Is that frequency the one that the Klingons used to break through the _Enterprise's_ shields?" Romeo nodded, and Amaya tapped her chin. "Where was this message sent from?"

Romeo shrugged. "Not sure. Jarvis, triangulate the radio message and display its position relative to us."

"Triangulating…" On the table nearby, a hologram popped up of the Earth's surface. "It would appear that the message originated from a point 271 kilometers above the Pacific Ocean." A glowing green dot appeared above the Pacific Ocean.

Amaya clicked her tongue a few times, and then said, "Isn't that where your mobile lab blew up, Romeo?"

Romeo nodded. "Yeah, roughly. I'd have to pull up sensor logs to confirm it, but it is pretty close."

Jarvis said, "Sir, it is worth noting that the message's gravitation constant is wrong. It should be 6.67408 times 10 to the negative eleventh power."

Romeo's eyes lit up. "Do you think maybe the message isn't from someone in our universe, Jarvis?"

"Unknown. In addition, yes, I checked the sensor logs. The position of the radio signal and the position of the mobile lab's detonation are the same."

Amaya and Romeo looked back and forth from the hologram to each other for a few seconds. Amaya said, "What do we do?"

Romeo rolled his chair over to his keyboard. "Send a reply, of course. Jarvis, is there some sort of object there?"

"No, sir. However, there does appear to be an appreciably high neutrino flux in that area."

Amaya seemed apprehensive. "We may have just proven multiverse theory, Romeo. Moreover, it seems like someone is on the other side… Someone that knows you, too. I wonder what's different about that universe."

Romeo turned around and grinned. "We're such fucking nerds."

Amaya laughed. "If we publish this with enough data, we'll probably win the Nobel Prize, Romeo."

Romeo turned back around to face the computer and said, "I'll be on my way to playboy _millionaire_ , then, won't I?"

Amaya said, "Millionaire, maybe, but playboy remains to be seen. You've got the charming smile, but not the charisma."

Romeo shrugged. "I'm working on it, just give me a few years to kick puberty's ass."

Amaya grabbed a nearby chair and rolled it next to Romeo. "We'll just see about that."


	5. The Wolfy Time

**Warning:** This chapter contains season 2 spoilers about The Wolfy Kids and Armadylan!

 **ALSO: There is some very coarse language in this chapter ( _e.g._ cursing) and some violence.** Remember, the PJ Masks and the Villians are all in their teens, now. Naturally, their vocabularies have expanded to include some intriguing four-letter words...

Finally, this will be my last chapter for a week or two, so enjoy it! It's finals time, and I've got labs to teach and final assignments of my own to do. :)

It's worth noting that I typically like to denote short breaks in the story with a series of 3 asterisks. This site doesn't seem to like that, so I'm having to resort to using horizontal lines. After the first horizontal line in this chapter, all the rest denote short breaks in the story.

* * *

 **A few days later, at night,** it was unusually bright outside; a full moon. In the city, things were wild, tonight. "Yip yip yaroo!" echoed through an alleyway where Catboy followed Howler closely. Howler barreled down the alley, galloping on all fours like a wolf.

Catboy shouted, "Stop!" This was the second night in a row that the Wolfies had stirred up trouble; he was starting to feel annoyed with their antics tonight.

"Yeah right!" Just before the hero caught him, Howler barreled through a set of trashcans and garbage splattered everywhere. Catboy was covered in filth.

Catboy slowed down, and when they turned onto the street, Howler made the turn all right. Despite slowing down, Catboy slipped on some of the garbage that had clung to his feet and then he flipped out of control. "Ahh!" Still moving at a ludicrous speed, he crashed spectacularly into another set of trashcans right ahead of the alley, splattering garbage everywhere. He stayed there, regaining his wits as Howler turned down a side road. Howler must have planned that out.

At the museum several blocks away, Rip and Kevin were keeping Owlette and Gekko busy. Rip was grappling with Owlette while Kevin and Gekko fought over a small, bronze statue from the museum. The Gekko-Mobile was nearby. Rip growled ferociously and managed to get Owlette into a headlock. Owlette tried to get free, but Rip was too powerful. She said, "Gekko!"

Rip laughed and said, "What, did I clip your wings, bird brains?" She grinned and showed off her sharp teeth. She looked fierce, tonight.

Gekko looked over, and that was just the distraction that Kevin needed to wrestle the statue away from him. "Ha! Got it!"

Gekko said, "Hey!" Just then, Howler appeared behind Gekko. With a quick swing at his head, Howler knocked the smaller boy out, and he fell backward onto the grass.

Howler laughed and said, "Good night, Lizard Legs!" Howler hopped into the Gekko Mobile. "Come on guys, the Lizard car is ours."

Rip said, "Furtastic!" She dropped Owlette, who did not get back up to give chase.

Kevin patted Gekko on the head. "Sorry, Gekko. Just doin' what Rip and Howler told me to do!" He tossed the statue on the ground and then hopped over into the Gekko Mobile with Rip.

Kevin stomped on the accelerator, and off they went! Owlette crawled over to Gekko and said, "Gekko! You okay?"

Greg rubbed his head and looked around. "What happened?"

Owlette replied, "Howler snuck up, and sucker punched you." She stood up and offered him a hand.

Gekko took the hand and stood up. "They must have actually had a plan, tonight."

Owlette touched her ear to activate her communicator. "Catboy, you okay? The Wolfies have the Gekko Mobile."

Catboy's voice came over the line, and he groaned. "Yeah. Howler tricked me into crashing into a bunch of trash cans."

Gekko touched his ear and said, "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. Covered in trash, but I'm fine. I'm going after the Wolfies."

Owlette replied, "Gotcha. We're going to go to HQ and get the Owl Glider."

Back at Catboy's location, he cleared the garbage from his suit. He picked a banana peel off his arm and said, "Yuck! Damn Wolfies!" He growled and zipped away in a blue blur, determined to find the Wolfies.

For several minutes, Catboy ran down one of the main roads in town; _where are they?_

In his ear, Catboy heard Owlette say, "Catboy! We're in the Owl Glider, and tracking them, now! Turn left on main and head toward the playground at the park."

Catboy took the turn and touched his ear, "Gotcha!" He looked ahead and saw the Owl Glider in the sky. He was gonna get Howler this time; nobody humiliates Catboy!

In the Owl Glider, Gekko and Owlette watched as the Wolfies drove the Gekko Mobile erratically towards the park. Gekko touched his ear and said, "PJ Robot! Can you still not override the controls on the Gekko Mobile?" PJ Robot appeared onscreen nearby. The robot made a series of confused movements and shook his head sadly. Gekko replied, "Dammit!"

Owlette said, "Gekko, look." Catboy was closing on the Wolfies, now. Owlette swooped down as Catboy hopped up onto the Gekko Mobile. "Wait, is that Armadylan?" A rolling ball rapidly approached the Gekko Mobile from the side. Owlette touched her ear, "Catboy, watch out, it's Armadylan!"

Down on the Gekko Mobile, Catboy barely heard Owlette; he had adrenaline pumping and was determined to hurt Howler. He didn't even notice Armadylan rolling toward them. The armadillo-boy hurtled at the Gekko Mobile from its right side and crashed into it just as it entered the park, causing it to barrel roll into a tree. Catboy was thrown clear and crashed into another tree mid-air; he fell to the ground.

Gekko and Owlette both screamed, "Catboy!"

* * *

 **Moments later,** the Wolfies all crawled from the Gekko Mobile, which had landed on its side with the tracks on the tree. It was relatively unscathed aside from a few dents. The Owl Glider landed nearby, and Gekko hopped out just in time to see Armadylan unroll from his ball form. With his vain, silly voice, he said, "That's how you stop the Wolfies, Armadylan style!"

Gekko clenched his teeth and quickly walked over to Armadylan. He shouted, "You fucking idiot! You could've killed him!" His right hand and elbow glowed neon green, and he punched Armadylan on the cheek with a sweeping right hook. The hit sent the bigger boy flying into the Gekko Mobile's cockpit glass, shattering it. Owlette flew out of the glider and over to Catboy.

Nearby, Rip said, "Oh crap, Lizard boy is mad. Let's get out of here!" Howler nodded; he was scared of Gekko when he got mad. He dashed off with her.

Kevin looked between Catboy and the other Wolfies. "But, what about Catboy? He's hurt!"

Rip ran back and said, "You remember last time we made Lizard Legs mad, Kevin!" She pulled him with her and said, "Just run!"

As he ran, Kevin looked back and called out, "I'm sorry!"

As the Wolfies disappeared into the woods, Gekko walked over to the Gekko Mobile where Armadylan had leaned himself against the top of the Gekko-mobile as he regained his senses. Gekko said, "Is Catboy okay, Owlette?"

Catboy coughed and groaned in pain as Gekko said that. Owlette replied, "He's alive, at least."

In a menacing voice, Gekko said, "Did you notice Catboy was on the Gekko Mobile before you crashed into it, Arma-dummy?"

Armadylan spat out a tooth and a good deal of blood. He replied, "N-no! Why'd you hit me?"

Gekko pointed at Catboy. "Look." He kicked Armadylan in the ribs. "You see what you did? You came in here all half-cocked and didn't know what was happening, and just look what you did! You came in and tried to solve the problem with brute force and caused a freaking train wreck! THAT is why I fucking hit you!"

Armadylan was still somewhat dazed. "I... I didn't mean to hurt him. I'm sorry." He looked in his hand at the tooth he had just spat out.

"Sorry won't cut it." Gekko picked the boy up and grabbed the tooth from his hand. "Open your mouth." Armadylan looked confused. "Just open your mouth! For fuck's sake, I'm trying to help you."

Armadylan cautiously did as he was told. Gekko examined the tooth, a molar, and then Armadylan's mouth, which was steadily bleeding. He rearranged the tooth, which was still intact, and stuck it into the hole in Armadylan's gums where it had come from. "There. Now get the hell out of here." He let go of him and stepped back.

Armadylan looked over to Catboy. "But, I…"

"I SAID LEAVE!"

He did not need to be told again; Armadylan curled up into a ball and rolled away hastily.

After Armadylan was gone, Gekko ran over to Owlette and Catboy, and his mean, angry demeanor melted away. "Catboy, are you okay?" Tears appeared in his eyes.

Catboy had woke up while Gekko grilled Armadylan. "Yeah… Help me up."

Owlette and Gekko help Catboy up, and he groaned in pain the entire way up. He puts his right arm over the left side of his abdomen. "Ugh, my chest." He struggled to breathe correctly. "There was just a white flash when I hit the tree and then just mind-numbing pain."

Owlette eyeballed him. "Is that where you hit the tree?"

Catboy nodded. "Yeah." He coughed and yelped in pain afterward. After a few seconds, he remarked, "Gekko was pretty rough with Armadylan, wasn't he?"

Owlette sighed. She turned to glare at Gekko. "Yeah, I was gonna say, were you harsh enough with Armadylan? Gosh."

Gekko gritted his teeth. "No! I should've broken his nose! His stupid interference could've killed someone!" He stomped angrily and kicked a rock so hard that it embedded itself into a nearby tree.

Catboy weakly said, "Gekko, calm down. I'll live. You definitely taught Armadylan his lesson for the night." He took a small, pained breath. "Just let it go."

Gekko took a deep breath. "Yeah okay." He took another deep breath. "You two fly back to HQ. I'll follow you in the Gekko Mobile in a few minutes."

Catboy nodded. "Good idea. PJ Robot can patch me up." He gently walked over to the Owl Glider.

Owlette said, "Catboy stop." He grunted in return but did not stop. "Connor! You probably broke a few ribs." Catboy turned around and acknowledged her by stopping, finally. She continued, "We should go see Romeo and get his Robot to fix you up."

Catboy sighed and then looked up at the sky. "I swear, every time I get hurt on a mission, it's a broken bone." He looked down at the dirt. "You really think I broke a rib?"

Owlette walked over and poked him on his left side. Catboy yelped and glared at her like a wounded animal. "Connor, I literally felt one of the bones move just then." She touched his shoulder. "Let's have PJ Robot transform you back from Catboy, and we'll go see Romeo, okay?"

Tears leaked out of Catboy's eyes; he bit his tongue to keep from screaming. He nodded. "Let's go."

Gekko watched as they got into the glider. He waved, and when they were gone, he picked up the Gekko Mobile and sat it down right side up. The shattered cockpit glass made an odd sound as it moved around inside. Gekko sat down in the grass against the Gekko Mobile and sobbed. He hugged his knees and closed his eyes as he cried.

After a minute, Gekko was startled by a familiar voice, "Can I sit with you?"

Gekko looked up and saw it was Kevin. Gekko kinda liked him; he was an okay person, not mean, unlike Rip and Howler. "Okay."

Kevin sat down next to Gekko and hugged him. "Sorry about your friend. We were just playing."

Gekko laughed. "I'm not mad about you guys. We know how to handle you." He sniffled and added, "It's just stupid Armadylan. I've never been mean to someone like that."

Kevin patted Gekko's head. "I stuck around and watched what happened after we ran away… It's okay; Catboy is part of your pack. If someone hurt Rip or Howler like that, I'd probably be mean, too."

Gekko replied, "I just hate it when I lose my temper." He wiped his eyes. "I mean, I don't like to hurt people. But there I was, knocking out Armadylan's teeth. Some hero I am."

Kevin tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe you did go a bit too far, but Arma-weirdo did come crashing in outta nowhere… Sometimes, maybe it's okay for the heroes to knock a few teeth out."

Gekko sniffled one last time. "Maybe you're right." The boys were quiet for a minute or so.

Kevin sighed and said, "I'm gonna go before Rip is afraid you ate me or something."

Gekko hugged Kevin quickly. "Thank you."

Kevin said, "No worries, dude."

As Kevin got up and walked away, Gekko said, "Tell Rip and Howler that the next time they steal my Gekko Mobile, I'm gonna hurt 'em."

Kevin laughed and dashed off on all fours. "Will do!"

* * *

 **Meanwhile, at Romeo's lab,** Connor had been transformed back into his regular self. He stood with his shirt off, entirely still while Robot shined a blue laser beam at his abdomen. Through gritted teeth, he said, "This feels so weird."

Romeo and Owlette were nearby. Romeo said, "Yeah, like your insides are gonna try and crawl out of your skin?" Connor nodded. "Yeah, it is a weird feeling, I know." The area where the laser was shining had already begun to form a purplish-blue bruise.

Owlette eyed Romeo. "Don't tell me you've broken ribs before?"

Romeo scratches his head. "WELL… I mean, yeah. I was using one of those big torque ratchets for the big bolts on my fusion generator, and it sprang back on me because my hand slipped."

Owlette hit him. "Romeo! You've gotta be more careful!"

Romeo said, "Hey, hey, hey! It was like two years ago! These days, I have Robot do all that kind of stuff."

Robot said, "Indeed. Master had me change a lightbulb just this afternoon."

Owlette laughed. "Really?"

Robot replied, "Yes." Pause, and the laser stopped. "I have repaired your bones. In addition, there is some slight muscle damage. That area will be tender for two to five weeks as the muscles repair themselves. The bruise should heal in a week."

Connor examined the area where Robot had just finished fixing him. He took a deep breath. It felt uncomfortable, but it didn't hurt. "I can breathe again!" He offered Robot a high five, which he promptly returned. "Thanks, Robot!"

Robot replied, "You're welcome."

Romeo said, "So, by the way, Connor, I noticed you've got this really cute birthmark back here." He pointed at the boy's back and smiled; he was teasing, now.

Connor quickly grabbed his pajama top from Owlette. "It's a family thing. My mom has one, too." He put the shirt back on and shivered. "Is it always so cold in your lab?"

Romeo shook his head. "No. It's just not cold enough outside for me to turn on the heat yet."

In Owlette's ear, her communicator clicked on, and Gekko said, "Is Connor okay, Owlette?"

Owlette said, "Wait, hush guys, it's Gekko." She touched her ear and replied, "Yeah, Romeo just got done patching him up. We'll be on our way home in a minute. Say hi, Connor!"

Connor cheekily said, "Hi, Connor!"

Owlette laughed. "He's alright and feeling like a smartass, Gekko. We will be to HQ in 5 or 10 minutes. Owlette out."

Connor shook Romeo's hand and said, "Thanks."

Romeo grinned, "No problems."

Owlette walked over to Romeo. "Yeah, thanks." Much to Romeo's surprise, she kissed him on the cheek and then said, "Let's go, Connor! Seeya tomorrow Romeo!" She grinned and giggled at Connor, who also seemed surprised.

Romeo stood still and blushed for a few moments; he had never had a kiss from a girl before, even on the cheek. Just before Owlette walked out of the room, he managed to reply, "Uh, yeah, see ya tomorrow!"

As they walked out the door, Connor said, "What was that about?"

Owlette looked at him and shrugged. "I dunno. He's fun to mess with."

Connor laughed and said, "Yeah, yeah. Seems more like Owlette's got a boyfriend, to me."

Owlette replied, "I do not!" Pause. "But what if I did?"

Connor tapped his chin. "I'd say you two were a good match. You're both massive nerds."

Owlette laughed as they climbed into the Owl Glider. "You're just jealous that you don't have anyone to be a big nerd with."

Connor finished climbing into the glider and strapped the seatbelt. He thought about that for a minute; _maybe_ he was a bit jealous. He shrugged in reply and watched the scenery as they flew away.


	6. A Happy Day

Enjoy :)

You should all know how the horizontal line thing works now, so I'm gonna stop including that disclaimer, okay? Cool.

* * *

 **The next day,** Greg walked down the sidewalk, alongside a girl. It was cold outside, today, but that wasn't why Greg's ears were turning red. "Thanks again for letting me come hang out with you today, Mandy. It was fun to meet your mom." Greg reached over and grabbed her hand nervously.

Mandy was a thin, short girl with purple hair and dark clothes. She showed off her cute smile when Greg grabbed her hand. In a confident, happy voice, she replied, "Thanks for coming over, Greg. I think my mom really liked you." She swayed their hands back and forth lazily as they walked.

Greg laughed. "Y-you think so? I was kinda worried there for a minute."

Mandy quickly replied, "Dude, she loved you. You're fine. She probably won't shut up about you."

Greg smiled; he liked this. Holding hands is nice. "You'll have to come to meet my little brother sometime. He's gonna be asking me questions about what I was up to all night."

It was Mandy's turn to laugh, now. "I bet he will be. I forget, how old did you say he was?"

Greg enthusiastically replied, "He just turned four! Wanna see a picture?" Mandy nodded and watched as Greg used his free hand to grab his wallet from his back pocket. She looked at the picture that he had in a little plastic holder in his wallet. "See? Here we are earlier this summer at the beach." Indeed, it was a little photo of Finn standing on Greg's shoulders. They were both flexing their muscles with big smiles. "My hair was kinda weird, that day, but Finn looks cute."

Mandy giggled. "I think your hair looks cute there, too!"

Greg grinned and said, "Thanks."

Mandy added, "Nice swimsuits, too. They leave little to the imagination."

Greg's ears got a little redder; Mandy always has something witty to say. "Oh, uh, yeah. Y'know. Swim briefs are my favorites." In his mind, Greg shouted at himself, _Shut up, Greg, you're making it worse._ "Finn tries to copy everything I do. Including my swimwear."

Mandy nodded as Greg put away his wallet and the picture. "He's a clever boy. Big brother definitely looks good in them."

Okay, now Greg's cheeks were turning red. They stopped at a street crossing. "Well, this is my street." Mandy's mom said she could walk with Greg until he got to his street.

Mandy tapped her chin. "Already? Jeez, you walk too fast."

Greg shrugged and said, "Sorry. Just, y'know, you were holding my hand, and I liked that." Greg's voice died out, and the two of them just stared at each other's eyes.

Mandy replied, "I liked it, too."

Greg felt his heart thumping. He gulped. "Mandy?"

Mandy quietly said, "If you're about to ask to kiss me, just do it."

"C-can I kiss–wait, huh? Oh, okay!" He paused for a second and then went for it when he realized what she had said. Greg turned his head a bit so their noses wouldn't bump, and their lips made contact. For a few seconds, they kept it like that.

After a few seconds, Mandy pulled back and then hugged Greg. "Bye, Greg. Tell your little brother you got to kiss a girl today." She turned around and trotted off happily.

Greg could barely see straight; he finally worked up enough sense to say, "A cute one, too!"

Mandy giggled but kept on going. "Seeya!"

Greg called back, "Seeya!" After a minute or so, Greg was steady enough to walk again. All the blood had rushed from his head to… well, never mind that, it was under control now.

As Greg scurried home, he eventually saw his house; his Dad was at the car, getting ready to leave for work, probably. "Dad!"

Alan looked up. "Well, there's the big man himself. How'd your date go?"

Greg scoffed. "It wasn't a date, dad. We just worked on homework and played video games."

Alan laughed. "Fine, play date, then. Finn will be jealous."

Greg punched Alan in the arm and playfully said, "Dad, shut up! We just hung out."

Alan shut the car door and turned around feistily. "Oh, you wanna fight me now, huh?"

Greg tossed his backpack in the grass. "Sure!" Ever since Finn had gotten old enough to roughhouse with Greg and Alan, all of them have been a bit more playful with each other. Today was no exception.

Alan threw a light punch at Greg's arm. "How you like that one?"

Greg said, " _Psht_. C'mon old man, is that all you got?" It actually did hurt, but this was one of those strange male rituals where you're not supposed to show pain.

Alan looked slightly annoyed when he replied, "Hey. I'm not old." Greg smiled haphazardly, and Alan said, "Gimme another good one before I have to go." Alan flexed his arm.

Greg replied, "Alright." He stuck his tongue out and then punched Alan's arm. "How's that?"

Alan laughed and said, "Weak!" He gave Greg a slightly harder punch on his arm and then smacked him on the shoulder. "Alright, now, c'mon kid, I've gotta go soon. Connor is in the house with Finn. He said you told him to come over."

Greg nodded. That last hit _really_ hurt, but he didn't let it show. "Yeah, I did. I didn't think he'd be here this early though." Greg scratched his chin. "I bet him and Finn are up to something."

Alan shrugged. "Maybe so. I've already given Finn my little speech about him behaving while I'm gone. He shouldn't be much trouble."

Greg stopped at the front door. "Thanks, Dad."

Alan replied, "No problem, kiddo. If you need anything, call Connor's mom. She knows what is going on. I'm working in the ER tonight, so I will probably be too busy to take calls." Alan paused and let go of the door. "How did it go with Mandy, though?"

Greg shyly said, "We kissed a few minutes ago when she had to go back home." He grabbed the doorknob and opened it.

Alan laughed; that was all he needed to hear to know that it went well. "Good for you, kiddo."

* * *

 **Meanwhile, at Romeo's lab,** Amaya put on a welder's mask. "So, we're building a spaceship?" She was wearing heavy pants and a long sleeve shirt, today.

Romeo replied, "Yep. I've been communicating with the other universe. I mean, as we saw the other day, it is another Romeo. We have agreed to try and cross the barrier and meet up. So I'm building a ship to take up to the anomaly."

Amaya nodded and grabbed the torch. She whistled, "Robot! Line 'em up!" Robot placed two sheets of thick metal in front of Amaya. "Ready?"

Romeo pulled down his goggles and touched a button on them; they went dark. "Go for it. We only have to weld a dozen or so of these together, and then Robot is gonna handle the rest of it tonight. Our hands will be full constructing the interior of the ship."

Amaya flipped her mask down and started welding. "How long you think it'll take to have the ship ready?"

"A few weeks, maybe a month. Less if your PJ Robot helps out some." After a few moments of silence, Romeo added, "So, uh, about that kiss the other night…"

Amaya quickly replied, "It was nothing. Just a peck on the cheek because you helped out." Amaya was definitely lying, but she was good at it. She wasn't ready to tell Romeo her feelings for him quite yet. Maybe because she didn't even know, herself.

Romeo sighed. "Fair enough. Thanks for the help with the welding… You've always been better at it than me."

Amaya said, "I know!"

* * *

 **Later that night, at Greg's house,** Finn and Connor laughed hysterically as Greg sat up and wiped his eyes in a rather large bathtub. "Connor!" Something was off, though; Greg was clothed.

After several seconds, Connor started to help Finn, who was still naked and dripping wet, dry off. Connor replied, "You know, Greg, you should be more careful in the bathroom. The floor is all slippery and stuff."

Finn said, "Yeah Greggy, be more caweful! The floor is slippy slippy!"

Greg scowled. "So this stupid prank was what you two were planning all afternoon? Lame."

Connor stuck out his tongue, and Finn followed suit. "It was Finn's idea," Connor revealed.

Finn smiled wide and put his hands on his hips triumphantly. "It was funny!" He did a cute little dance to emphasize his point.

Connor offered Finn a high five. "Good stuff, little man!" Finn enthusiastically slapped Connor's hand.

Greg rolled his eyes. He was kinda angry about it but was impressed to see Finn thinking creatively, so he kept the anger to himself. "Well, fine. You got me, Finny. Just make your next prank something less likely to hurt me, okay?"

Finn nodded. "Okay."

Greg sighed. "Well, I was gonna take a shower later, but I guess I might as well do it now." He looked at Connor. "Can you handle him?"

Connor said, "Sure."

Greg said, "Alright, Finn, go with Connor and get dressed. You two try not to destroy the house while I shower."

Connor wrapped the towel around Finn's midsection. "C'mon, Finny boy."

Finn held Connor's hand, and just as they left, Finn said, "Wash off all your cooties, Greggy!"

Connor added, "Yeah, smooching on girls, what an icky thing to do, right Finn?"

"Yeah! Icky icky!"

Greg chuckled as he removed his shirt. Finn had been declaring that Greg had cooties ever since he told Finn that he and Mandy kissed earlier today. The very thought of that made his heart flutter. He looked over at the shower stall a few steps from the tub. "Maybe I'll need a _cold_ shower…"

* * *

 **About 30 minutes later,** Greg walked out of his room in just his pajama top and a pair of briefs. It was too warm in the house for pants right after that shower. He had chickened out of taking an actual cold shower; he started the first thirty seconds or so with the water chilly. It was unbearable, though, so he had instead turned up the heat and relaxed instead.

As he walked, Greg noticed it was totally silent upstairs. He didn't like that. What madness were Finn and Connor getting into downstairs? It was Finn's bedtime, and Greg was already a bit angry with Connor for pushing him into the tub earlier.

He trotted down the stairs with his towel around his neck. He heard the TV playing in the living room. He scurried down the hallway and into the living room. "Connor? Where are–" He stopped talking when he saw the scene in front of him, and he was instantly no longer angry with Connor.

Connor and Finn were laying on the couch together watching one of the preschool channels that Finn likes. Well, watching wasn't the right word; they were asleep. Greg smiled and suppressed a laugh. Finn, in just a pair of superhero briefs, was sitting on Connor's lap, sucking his thumb. Connor, on the other hand, had a blue pacifier in his mouth. Greg snickered; he knew where they had gotten that pacifier. Greg wasn't surprised that Finn had fallen asleep this quickly; he and Connor had made sure to play really hard tonight so that Finn would fall asleep soon after his bath. Similarly, it seems Connor was pretty tired from it all, too.

Greg went over to where the pair were reclined on one of the fold-out reclining portions of the couch. He touched Finn's head gently. He whispered, "Finn Hollis Edmonds."

Finn opened his eyes slowly and removed his thumb from his mouth. "Huh?" It was very rare that someone called him by his full name.

Greg pointed at Connor's mouth. "Did you put that there?"

Finn rubbed his eyes and looked. Then, he smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Connor was breathin' too loud, so I gived him my paci."

Greg laughed inwardly, but on the outside, he quietly said, "You're a sweet boy, Finn. Wanna go to your big boy bed?" He gently used his hand to play with Finn's hair. God, this was the most adorable thing he had seen Finn do in a while.

Finn shook his head tiredly. "Nuh uh." He gripped Connor's arm a bit tighter.

Greg nodded. "Okay. I am gonna go call Connor's mom and tell her where he is. Then can I come back and cuddle with you guys?"

Finn yawned and replied, "Okay. Greggy can cuddle too."

Greg said, "Can I have hugs before you go back to sleep?"

Finn let go of Connor's arm and reached out to Greg. Greg scooped him up and gave him a big hug. "Gosh, I love you, Finny."

Finn tiredly whispered, "I love you, Greggy." He kissed his big brother on the cheek.

Greg gently sat Finn down in Connor's lap, where the little one quickly resumed his previous cuddly position. "I'm gonna go call Miss Hazel and get us some blankets, Finny."

Greg walked toward his room to get some blankets and his cell phone. He had to take a picture of this. Greg knows at least five people that needed to see a picture of this scene. He snapped his fingers as he entered his room. He should probably grab Connor's spare set of sleep clothes that he keeps in Greg's dresser for occasions like this. Greg hated to wake him up to change, but Greg would be annoyed in Connor's place.

Greg smiled as he left the room. Having a little brother is fun.


	7. Just Goofing Around

Credit to JA-ThePoet on DeviantArt for sending in an idea for the scene at the end of this chapter. Thanks, man, I needed something fun to write with them! I edited the idea a bit, but the intent and purpose remained intact. :)

Please leave a review if you have a moment! I want to know peoples' thoughts on this one, in particular.  
Also, if you've ever wanted to ask me things directly, check out my profile page and hit up my Tumblr page. :)

Finally, I hope you enjoy the story and, to those of you who celebrate it, I wish you a Merry Christmas! A happy new year to all!

* * *

 **T** **he next morning,** Connor woke up on the couch at Greg's house; he was on his back in a comfy, warm position. He looked around and remembered where he was. He was covered with blankets, and he felt and heard another person breathing next to him. That was when Connor realized that Finn was still curled up on top of him; they had been watching some preschool show, that's right. Finn had his own blankets on top of Connor, who was laid back comfortably on his back. Connor turned his head to the left and realized Greg was cuddling with him underneath his covers, too. Greg was laying on his side next to Connor, with a leg and an arm over Connor's body.

Connor smiled. He was cuddling with both of the Edmonds brothers… That made him feel very happy. His skin prickled when he realized that he felt Greg's skin touching his own. That was when Connor realized that he was just in his underwear; he remembered now that Greg had tried unsuccessfully to get him to put on some sleep clothes in the middle of the night, but had only managed to get him to take off his other garments. Something about a pacifier seemed to linger in Connor's mind, too, but he couldn't remember if it was a dream or not.

Connor shifted a bit, and Greg stirred. With his eyes still closed, Greg said, "You were harder to wake up than Finn was last night, man."

Connor jumped slightly. "You scared the crap out of me!"

Greg opened his strikingly green eyes. He quietly said, "Did I? Wish I could've done that last night. I literally had to pull your pants off you. Finally gave up trying to get you to wear a pair of shorts."

Connor felt his cheeks get warm with embarrassment; he was notoriously challenging to awaken once he fell asleep. With a quiet voice, he replied, "So, you left me in my underwear and cuddled me?" Connor kinda liked that part; cuddling was one of his favorite things.

Greg nodded tiredly. With a smile, he answered, "Yeah. I couldn't let you have Finn all to yourself. He is _my_ baby brother, after all. I'm usually the one he snuggles with at night." Greg actually sounded slightly jealous. "Uh, besides that, you're hot." Pause. "I mean, uh, like temperature-wise."

Connor took his arms out from under the covers and wrapped them around little Finn. "You gotta share him with me sometimes, man. My parents won't have any more kids; Finn is all I got for little sibling material." The little one stretched and grunted quietly.

Greg sat up and stretched. He looked at the clock on the wall and said, "I know. I've told you since before he was born, you're welcome to share him. At the end of the day, though, _I'm_ big bubba." Greg gingerly pinched Finn's ear. He leaned over to him and said, "Hey, Finn. Time to wake up, bubby."

Finn stretched a bit more and said, "Don't wanna wake up." He made a sad face and emitted a sob.

Connor looked at Greg frantically. "Why is he crying?"

Greg sighed and said, "Well, he does this occasionally, especially after exciting days. He's only partly awake, that's all." Greg threw the covers off Finn and grabbed the little one as he started to cry lightly. "Finn. Hey, buddy. It's Greg. It is wake-up time, little guy." Greg patted his back lightly and brought the little one under the covers with him. Finn wiggled unhappily and made distressed noises. Greg patted his back slightly harder. "Finn Edmonds. You're safe, buddy, Come on, now, wake up."

Finn rubbed his eyes and looked around confusedly. "Greg?" He hugged Greg closely as he gathered his wits.

Greg smiled and looked at Connor. "See, no worries, right Finn?"

Finn nodded from the warm hug between them. Connor was awestruck. "I didn't know that was a thing. You're like a wizard, dude."

Greg smiled; he enjoyed that compliment. "So, you're okay with being the assistant big brother, right?" He grinned.

Connor laughed and replied, "Yeah."

Greg yawned. "C'mon, guys, Dad will be home in a little while. If we hurry, we can get dressed and have breakfast before he's here!"

* * *

 **A few days later, in the afternoon,** Connor was at home. He didn't feel great this afternoon, so he had decided to stay in and not go find someone to play with at the park. He sighed and leafed through another page of the school yearbook from last year. As he looked at the photos of him and his classmates, he realized that he was really just goofing off this afternoon; nothing productive was really happening. There wasn't any homework to do, and both Greg and Amaya were busy today. He sighed and looked around his room.

Greg had a swim team practice today, and Amaya was at the university with her mom.

He eventually refocused his attention to the yearbook, where his eyes came to rest on a boy in his class named Rider. Rider had black hair, brown eyes, and very boyish features; his face was smooth, and he had tanned skin like Connor. Well, maybe Rider's skin was a bit more creamy-colored... They had been friends for several years, and Connor had always been a bit partial to him for some reason.

After remembering some happy memories of playing basketball with Rider over the years, Connor kept going, examining each classmate's picture thoroughly. Connor wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he had felt a need to look through the book.

* * *

 **That same afternoon,** Greg and Finn walked out of a small pool supply shed and into Mandy's backyard. They had just changed into their swimsuits really quick. Finn was in a grey swim brief that had yellow sides, and Greg was in a purple swim brief with yellow sides and trim. Mandy had a fancy in-ground pool nearby. It was late October, but the weather was going through one last hot spell. The pool had a heater, so it was still warm, despite the lack of the awful summer heat to help it.

Mandy had informed Greg that this was the last day of the year to swim; they were shutting the pool down for the season soon! So, she invited him and Finn over to swim. Now, here they were, both changed into their swimsuits and ready to swim. It was funny; Greg had just changed out of his swimsuit after he finished swim team practice about an hour ago. He'd then swung by the preschool to pick up Finn and here they were.

Finn giggled and said, "I'm gonna take your girlfriend, Greggy."

Greg laughed. He had shown Finn a photo of her the other day, and the little one had been enamored over her; just another way of copying big brother! Greg replied, "Nuh-uh, little boy. She thinks you're cute, but she _likes_ me. Besides, I thought you didn't wanna catch her cooties?"

Finn tapped his chin; this was a complex issue. He shrugged.

Greg shook his head amusedly as Mandy walked out the back door. "Let's swim, boys."

Greg turned his head and found himself struggling not to stare at Mandy. She was wearing a two-piece swimsuit that showed off a lot of skin, and he could feel his ears turning warm.

Mandy snapped her fingers. "Greg."

He snapped out of the stare. "Huh?"

Mandy chuckled. "Don't stare, it's rude. Besides, my eyes are up here."

Greg's face turned red quickly; he was so embarrassed to be caught staring. He _never_ stared at girls like that. "I, uh… I'm sorry."

Mandy laughed. She liked seeing Greg squirm a little. "It's okay." She walked over to Finn and said, "Mom said she'd be keeping an eye on us from the house, but we're in charge of making sure that this little cutie stays safe." She pinched his cheek.

Greg quickly said, "That's okay. Finn swims like a fish. Right, Finny?"

Finn nodded and gave a thumbs-up. "I swim good!"

Mandy laughed but was surprised when Greg picked Finn up. "What are you doing, Greg?"

Greg said, "Well, obviously, I'm gonna toss him in the pool over in the deep side." He walked over to the deep end of the pool and looked at Finn. "Hold your nose, little guy."

Finn giggled a bit and then held his nose. Greg tossed him into the air over the pool, and the little one screamed before he went in the water with his hands first. Mandy was flabbergasted. "Oh my gosh! You just threw him in there!"

Greg laughed. "Watch him swim; he's like a little frog." Sure enough, Finn was swimming underwater like a practiced diver. After a few more seconds, he kicked his way to the surface and screeched excitedly. "Again!" He splashed water toward Greg and Mandy.

Mandy laughed excitedly, and said, "He's just adorable, Greg!"

Greg nodded. "Just like his big brother!" He grinned widely.

Mandy rolled her eyes. "He's not quite as cocky, though, is he?" Greg winked in reply, and Mandy leaned over to him and whispered, "By the way? You look better in that swimsuit in person."

Greg grinned. "Thanks!" He flexed his arms and legs slightly; they all had some defined muscle on them.

Mandy said, "Hey, one more thing?"

"Oh?"

Mandy bluntly said, "Shut up and get in the pool." She pushed Greg with all her strength, and he screamed as he fell into the pool.

Finn laughed and swam over to the ladder fixture on the deep end. "You pushed Greggy!"

That was how afternoon continued; there was teasing and games all around for nearly half an hour. Things heated up a bit about half an hour into their swimming. Finn had climbed out of the pool to jump from the diving board, and Greg and Mandy were grappling in the pool. "Get her, Greggy!"

And so he did; Greg pinned Mandy against the wall and wrapped his arms around her. "Hah! Got you this time!" They were belly-to-belly and stared into each other's eyes. Finn cheered for Greg as he stepped onto the diving board.

Mandy rolled her eyes and said, "No you don't!"

Greg raised an eyebrow. "How do you figure that?" They were eye-to-eye, right now.

Mandy said, "Like this, goofy!" She kissed him on the mouth, and Greg's eyes went wide when she stuck her tongue in his mouth. It was a surprise, but he quickly adjusted and kissed back. This was a new experience.

As soon as Greg let his grip on Mandy loosen, she pushed him away and swam off. "Ha!" She stuck her tongue out and winked.

Greg shakily replied, "Y-yeah, you… uh, win that one." His voice cracked a few times as he spoke. That was… a stimulating experience, to say the least. Greg suddenly found himself wishing the water was colder and that he had worn a slightly less revealing swimsuit. He took a deep breath, and, after a few seconds, he became aware that Finn was laughing.

Finn said, "Greg's turnin' red!" He jumped in the pool. When he resurfaced, he said, "Cooties will make you turn red, Greggy!" Mandy laughed.

Greg smiled wryly and said, "Oh yeah, well, I tell you what, little boy, come here! I'm gonna give _you_ those cooties, too!" This was Greg's chance to get back on Finn for some of the constant weird stuff he does to Greg.

Finn screeched and futilely attempted to splash at Greg and swim away. Just as he got to the ladder to climb out, Greg caught up to Finn and grabbed him. "Not so fast, little man."

Finn screeched. "No cooties! Never!"

Greg said, "As if you have a choice, dude." Greg held the little boy still and licked Finn's cheek, causing him to squeal like a startled pig. He stopped and let Finn go, and said, "You've definitely got the cooties now, Finny! Take that!"

Finn quickly scrambled out of the pool and plopped down on a poolside-chair. He grabbed a towel and rapidly tried to rub the area where Greg had licked him. Mandy was laughing so hard that she had to hold onto the edge of the pool to keep her head above water.

Greg climbed out, too, after a minute and Mandy said, "You two could be on TV, oh my gosh."

Greg smiled and said, "Oh, I'm sure in some alternate universe we are on TV or something." He walked over and scooped Finn up and kissed him on the cheek several times while making funny noises and tickling him, much to the little one's delight. "You're fun to play with, Finn."

Finn slapped back at Greg a bit, and Mandy got out of the pool, too. "I think we're done here, huh?"

Greg laughed. "Yeah, I think we can close the pool on that note."

In the chair, Finn finished wiping his face and proclaimed, " _Yucky!_ " Mandy and Greg found it quite humorous, which elicited a glare from Finn.


	8. Lizard Life

Happy new year, all!

Credit to JA-ThePoet on DeviantArt for sending in an idea for the scene at the **beginning** of this chapter. As with before, I edited the idea a bit, but the intent and purpose remained mostly intact. :)

 **Also, big credit goes to my beta reader, who goes by ItIsShad0w.** He's been most helpful for me in helping to prescreen my writing. Thanks! At his request, I will be crediting him at the beginning of each chapter now.  
Also, if you've ever wanted to ask me things directly, check out my profile page and hit up my Tumblr page. :)

* * *

 **Later that afternoon,** Greg and Mandy walked down the sidewalk, hand in hand. Greg said, "Sorry we had to leave. Mom told me I had to have Finn home by 6, so, y'know."

Mandy smiled widely and said, "No worries. He was getting kinda sick of us anyways, I think." Mandy pointed at her house ahead. "So, whatcha wanna do now?"

Greg tapped his chin, and then raised an eyebrow. "Wait, wait. Did your mom leave? Her car isn't there anymore."

Mandy nodded. "Yeah, silly. She had to work."

Greg's heart fluttered nervously. "D-did your mom know that you were bringing me back to the house?"

Mandy laughed and replied, "Yeah! What, does it scare you for us to be alone?"

Greg had started to blush a bit. "Well, I-I mean, I don't think my parents would let me have you over if it was just us… alone. If Finn were there, it would probably be okay, but–" Greg was cut off by Mandy kissing him as they stepped onto her driveway.

It was a short kiss, but it had the effect that Mandy had desired: it shut Greg up. She said, "Greg, my mom trusts me not to do anything stupid, and she trusts you not to try anything." Mandy grabbed his hand again and dragged him along until he started walking again. "My mom really likes you, actually, Greg. She knows you're a good boy. Plus, she thought you and Finn were both adorable in those swimsuits, too." She laughed.

Greg's legs were slightly weak after that kiss, and Mandy's words made him feel good. "She really trusts you to have a boy at the house alone? That's… really cool."

As they stepped up to the front door, Mandy said, "Yeah!" She opened the door, and Greg stepped inside. She stepped inside behind him and said, "Now, whatcha wanna do? We could go upstairs and play video games if you wanna."

Greg tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I really enjoyed swimming earlier; your pool was so warm… Aw man, I took my swimsuit home when we took Finn." He made a frustrated face. "I guess we could go play a game."

Mandy closed the door behind them. She said, "I really wanna swim again, now." She sighed and said, "Well, I got a new book from the library at school today. We could read together if you want."

Greg pointed a finger. "That's a good idea."

After a few moments of silence from them both, Mandy said, "You know, you don't need a swimsuit to go swimming."

Greg looked at her for a few seconds; she had the strangest smile and a twinkle in her eye. Greg said, "Y'know, I've said that to someone before… heh. We ended up swimming in our underwear."

Mandy raised an eyebrow this time, "Oh?"

Greg laughed. "Yeah… But we had extra underwear to change into. I don't have any extra underwear here."

Mandy squinted. "And you don't wanna get them wet, right?"

Greg shook his head. "No. That might raise some questions when my mom sees a pair of wet briefs in the wash. I haven't wet the bed since I was like 6." That was a lie, of course; he had done it once when he was 8, but Mandy didn't need to know that.

Mandy laughed. "You still wear briefs?"

Greg scoffed and said, "Uh, duh. A boy has to have some, uhm, _support_. I mean, you did see my swimsuit, right?" She laughed at his reaction, so Greg added, "C'mon, I know you're not stupid, Mandy. It's pretty easy to figure out I probably wear briefs." He made a matter-of-fact look and glared at her.

Mandy stuck out her tongue and said, "I'm just teasing, chill." Greg laughed, and she tapped her chin. "Well… We've got a big privacy fence around back, you know. Nobody can see our pool." She smiled mischievously.

Greg knew what that look meant. He sighed and said, "You want me to swim naked? Right?"

Mandy cautiously said, "If you're okay with it? I'll be a perfect, uh, gentle-lady, I promise." She smiled nonchalantly.

Greg's cheeks were a bit red, already, but they seemed to be getting redder. He said, "Only if you do it, too."

Mandy's smile widened and she walked toward the back door. "Alright, come on. Our towels from earlier are in the pool shed."

Greg grinned and trotted along behind Mandy. "You're such a rebel, Mandy."

Mandy giggled and said, "Hurry, it'll be dark soon, and you'll have to go home!"

* * *

 **Late that night,** Amaya and Romeo were working on the spaceship in a big underground chamber. It was a big operation, now. A sizeable cylindrical structure was beginning to take shape. Amaya and Romeo were both welding, tonight, along with Romeo's Robot. Just as she finished welding a section of paneling, a beeping sound emanated from Amaya's pocket. She grunted and put out her torch. "Romeo!" She made a motion where she drew her finger across her neck. "I've got a call from PJ Robot, kill the torch!"

Romeo, several feet away, extinguished his own torch. "Go ahead."

Amaya raised her welding face shield and pulled her PJ Mask Communicator out. She read a short message and smiled. "Heh, I've got something I need to take care of at HQ." She took off her face shield and apron. "I'm gonna head out." She looked down at the glowing bracelet on her wrist.

Romeo raised an eyebrow. "Need me to grab the teleporter? You need to be in your pajamas to transform, right?"

Amaya shook her head. "Nah, I don't anymore. I reprogrammed the computer a few months ago. We can transform anywhere as long as it's night, now."

Romeo nodded. "Alright. Well. You should tell your PJ Robot to come over here and help Robot tomorrow. It'll help speed things up."

Amaya nodded back. "I will." Pause. With a caring tone, she added, "Don't stay up too, late, okay?"

Romeo nodded again. "I know. See ya, Amaya. Text me when you're home." He lowered his face shield and waved.

Amaya grinned and said, "I will. See ya!" She hit the bracelet and began to glow pink.

* * *

 **Fifteen minutes later,** Gekkoarrived in HQ in the form of a beam of light. When he hit the floor, he looked around and saw Owlette standing nearby. Gekko rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Well… What's the big deal? What'd you wake me up at midnight for?"

Owlette smiled. "C'mon, I've got something I need your help with." She flew over to the elevator tube and landed. "Up to the Owl Glider, lizard legs."

Gekko sighed as she disappeared. He just wanted to go home and go back to sleep, but Owlette wouldn't have called him out here like this if it wasn't important. He sighed and ran over to his green elevator tube and hit the appropriate button.

Owlette didn't have much else to say once they were up there. They got into the Owl Glider and flew out of the HQ. After a minute or so, they turned and headed out of town. Gekko said, "Owlette, seriously, where are you taking me?" After several moments of silence, he said, "Fine, whatever. You'll tell me when you're ready."

Owlette chose that moment to reply. "Good. I wanted to get under your skin a bit. Now I'll tell you." She tapped a few buttons, and the computer announced that the autopilot was in control.

Gekko watched as she grabbed a lever that allowed her to spin her chair around and face him. Owlette said, "So, remember the other night with Armadylan?"

Gekko scratched his head. "Well, yeah…"

"We're going to visit him." Pause. "And you're going to apologize for being so harsh. Got it?"

Gekko was quiet for a few seconds; he broke eye contact with Owlette and looked around the glider. He still felt terrible about that whole ordeal. He looked back up at Owlette and mumbled, "Okay."

Owlette nodded and spun her chair back around to face the controls. She figured Gekko wouldn't object to this. She knew he'd been feeling sorry about that ever since. She took control of the glider and said, "Luckily, Night Eagle knows where his hideout is. When I talked to her a couple days ago, she also told me how to know if he's transformed on any given night using our sensors. He's apparently got a spirit animal, like we do." Pause. "I kinda figured that being able to detect if he transforms on any given night would come in handy for us in the future."

Gekko quietly said, "Yeah." Pause. "Thank you for this, Owlette."

Owlette replied, "You're welcome." She pointed ahead just as they left the city suburbs. "There it is." She had pointed toward a round hill with an odd arrangement; it wasn't very big, nor was it very tall. However, it had a natural curve to it and appeared to be just another feature of the woodland area that bordered the suburb. There was an unusually raised spot along the edge of the hill. Owlette landed nearby.

Owlette said, "Stay here." She hit a button to open the cockpit, unbuckled her seatbelt, and flew out of the glider.

Gekko sat there apprehensively. He couldn't see the raised spot from here. He kept rehearsing what he was going to say in his head. He was so focused that it startled him when Owlette whistled loudly. "Hey, Gekko! Come on."

Gekko unbuckled and hopped out. Owlette and Armadylan stood nearby a well-hidden door at the raised spot along the edge of the hill. Gekko nervously said, "H-hi."

Armadylan looked at Owlette, who didn't move a muscle. He turned back to Gekko. "Hi. Owlette said you're here to say sorry."

Gekko nodded; he felt his cheeks turning red under his suit. "Well, yeah." He took a deep breath. Time to find some courage and be confident. With a steadier voice, he said, "Look, man, I'm sorry for punching you and kicking you the other day. That was uncalled for… I… I just get angry when people hurt my friends. I kinda just see red and lose control. I'm working on getting better about it." Pause. "And I said some really mean things, too. Sorry."

Armadylan put a hand on the back of his head, and then said, "Well, I did something pretty stupid, there. We're lucky I didn't hurt Catboy." He looked over at Owlette. "He is okay, right?"

Owlette nodded. "Yes, he's fine. We patched him up."

Armadylan cracked a smile. "Well, that's good." He looked back over at Gekko. "So, uh, I suppose we're good. The tooth you knocked out seems fine. Thanks for putting it back in, by the way."

Gekko laughed; the absurdity of the taller boy's statement was not lost on him. "I mean, uh, no problem. I'm sorry I knocked it out."

Armadylan laughed, "No worries, I've gotten into worse fights at school. So, look, we're cool now. I promise I'll think before I come barreling in, in the future." He extended a hand and Gekko took it. They shook hands.

Gekko replied, "That'd be awesome for everyone." He tapped his chin. "You know, if you want to help us out, you could just give us a call. Hang on." He trotted back over to the Owl Glider and hopped inside.

Owlette said, "I'm kinda surprised you're not holding a grudge, Dylan."

Armadylan shrugged. "I mean, he was right. I just came barreling in like a moron, and it ended up with Catboy getting hurt. That was pretty stupid of me."

Owlette nodded, and before she could say anything else, Gekko called out, "Found it!" He hopped back out of the Owl Glider and ran over. "Here, take this, it's one of our spare communicators." He handed a grey rectangular device with a screen and a small camera on the front to Armadylan. "It's pretty easy to use. It's on right now. Just tap that button on the side and tap one of the other communicator symbols that pop up. That'll start a call."

Armadylan took it. After a few moments examining it, he said, "You know, if you'd given me one of these years ago when I first started showing up at night, we could've avoided a lot of fighting with each other. Huh?"

Owlette made a thoughtful face and said, "You're right. I guess we never thought of it. At first, we weren't sure if you were a good guy or a bad guy, and we were kinda wary of you for a few years. Plus, I only recently figured out how to make new communicators. For the longest time, we just had the original three that we started with."

Armadylan laughed heartily. "Yeah, as much as I declared I was a good guy, I was a bit too wild, I suppose." Pause. "Heck, I still am kinda wild, huh?"

Gekko shrugged. "Yeah, maybe so, but we did eventually learn that you mean well. You've helped us out several times, now."

Armadylan said, "Well, don't worry about me joining up with you three. I don't want to be on your team; I feel like it would mess up the way you three get along or something. Besides, you guys sometimes get all excited by the bad guys doing things that I don't really care about. I don't wanna have to go out at night because Night Ninja did something stupid to some relic at the museum or stuff like that." He tapped the communicator against his free hand. "Well, if you ever need me, I assume this thing will also ring if you call it?" Owlette nodded, so he continued, "Cool. Call me if you need backup some time."

Gekko said, "Thanks for being so chill, Armadylan." He reached up to pat the boy on his shoulder, but quickly found himself in a big bear hug.

Armadylan hugged Gekko hard enough that it hurt, and said, "No problem, Gekko."

Owlette backed up a few steps before she became his next target. She said, "Well, if you're done smothering Gekko, we'll go ahead and leave for the night, Dylan." The exposed skin on Gekko's face was turning red, and he changed the color of his scales to blue.

Armadylan released Gekko and laughed. "Sorry. I hug Armadylan Style!"

Gekko coughed a few times and returned his scales to their usual green. He breathlessly said, "No worries, I'm okay." After a few more seconds, he got up and said, "Seeya, Armadylan."

As the other teens hopped into the Owl Glider, Armadylan said, "Seeya!"

Once they had flown away, Gekko said, "Man, I feel so much better now."

Owlette laughed, and said, "I knew you would."

Gekko was quiet for several moments and then said, "We will probably never call him on that communicator, will we?"

Owlette flatly said, "Only if the world is about to end and we need an extra pair of hands."

They both laughed.


	9. The Jenolan

Hey all! Enjoy chapter 9 and be sure to leave me a review if you have a minute! Thanks!

Special thanks to my beta reader, ItIsShad0w.  
Also, if you've ever wanted to ask me things directly, check out my profile page and hit up my Tumblr page. :)

* * *

 **Several weeks later,** it was late November, and Connor walked briskly down a street not far from his home, bundled up in a thick coat, pants, and a bobble cap with a white and blue striped pattern on it. The weather had turned bitterly cold around mid-November. This was unusual for the area, especially considering that the freezing weather hadn't even brought along any early snowfall. Instead, there had been a small ice storm that caused everything elevated above the ground to accumulate a thin layer of ice.

The ice had melted several days ago, but another wave of cold air had pushed in and persistently blanketed the area in bone-chilling cold. Connor started to shiver as he turned and walked up a driveway that led to a medium-sized red-brick house. It was cold enough outside that the grass was frozen and it crunched under Connor's boots as he walked across the yard toward the front porch. He carefully went up the steps and knocked on the door; his gloves were hardly adequate for such cold, so he quickly stuck his hands back inside his coat pockets.

After several moments, the door creaked open slightly, and a familiar voice said, "Connor?"

Connor quickly said, "Who else? Jack Frost?"

"Sarcasm? That's definitely Connor." The door opened, and Connor ducked into the warmth quickly.

The door shut behind him, and Connor turned to smile at the tanned boy welcoming him inside. "Rider, did you seriously not recognize me?" Rider was dressed in a pair of basketball shorts with their school logo on one side and a t-shirt with an eagle on it.

Rider scratched his head and smiled awkwardly. "Well, uhm, it was really bright outside, and I've been in my room in the dark all day. I couldn't really see you because I was squinting too hard." His brownish-black hair wasn't in its usual parted arrangement, which was slightly telling–it was apparent that Rider hadn't bothered to look in a mirror today. It was Saturday, so that was his prerogative, of course.

Connor shook his head. "Staying in your room all morning? You sound like Amaya." Connor pulled off his warm hat and said, "So, what did you call me over here in this cold for? Haven't we seen enough of each other lately?" The boys were both in the concert band at their middle school, and their annual winter concert had been earlier this week. They had seen a lot of each other lately, because the band had to have several last-minute afterschool practices to set up the auditorium and ensure they sounded their best for the concert.

Rider snapped, and said, "Oh! Remember how the children's theater club was talking about putting on their big show in the spring?" The city had a club for children and teens who wanted to act in plays, called the Maple Park Theater Club. They usually put on one big show and one or two small ones a year.

Connor took off his coat and then nodded. He watched Rider's big brown eyes as he hung up his coat and hat on a hook next to the door. "Yeah. They were putting out the script sometime yesterday, right?" Connor and Rider had both been in a few of their plays over the years, but only in small roles.

Rider nodded and smiled. "Yep! Dad and I stopped by and grabbed copies of the audition packets for the boy characters yesterday." Rider beckoned for him to follow. "C'mon, wanna go read them? I figured you'd wanna look at them with me."

Connor slid off his boots and said, "Yeah!" He followed Rider down the hallway, and asked, "What's the play about?"

Rider replied, "The play is called _Spartacus_. It's apparently based on some sort of rebellion that happened in ancient Rome. They're only letting kids 11 and over in this one."

Connor caught himself admiring Rider's body before they turned into his room; he shook it off and replied, "Cool. Sounds like there'll be violence or something."

* * *

 **The next afternoon,** Greg walked with Amaya through the underground area in Romeo's lab where the spaceship was being built. "So, you two built this?"

Amaya replied, "Yep." The rocket ship stood nearly as tall as the distance between goals in a basketball court. It had been painted white and had a door on it about half-way up. "The bottom half of it is fuel for the rocket and space for the EM drive's battery once the chemical rockets have been expended. Once we're in orbit, that part of the ship will jettison and drop into the ocean."

Greg nodded. "What about the top half?"

Amaya said, "We're still constructing the insides of it, but the top half is gonna have artificial gravity like our HQ. There will be three floors in it. The top is the bridge. The middle is gonna be science equipment, the main computer core, and the place where we catch the Anomaly. The bottom floor will be where the fusion generator, airlock, and Romeo's office are located."

Greg nodded, and Connor and Romeo walked into the room. Connor said, "So, you two plan to capture this Anomaly somehow… and you want our help?"

Amaya replied, "Yes. We want you to be on standby to follow us into space if needed, Connor. You'll hang out in PJ Masks HQ."

Romeo added, "And Greg will fly with us to operate the auxiliary flight controls. I'll be down in the bottom floor keeping the fusion generator operating smoothly. We'll need more power out of it during launch than we will once we're in orbit."

Greg said, "Why does Connor stay at HQ?"

Romeo replied, "Well, he gets motion sick when he goes into space, right?"

Connor quickly said, "Heh, that's one word for it." His motion sickness had gotten somewhat worse as he aged. Earlier this year, they flew to the moon to confront Luna Girl, and Connor became quite ill during the launch. It was a big mess. "Of course, I have some motion sickness meds these days that should help for the launch."

Amaya grinned, "Yeah, so we figured we would let Connor stay on the ground and not ride up on the launch. When we're in orbit, we can teleport him aboard using Romeo's teleporter."

Romeo added, "aaaand, if something goes wrong, Catboy can launch your HQ up into orbit to help us out."

Connor wagged a finger. "Hang on. I can't fly HQ on my own."

Romeo said, "Good point." He looked at Amaya. "I think we could probably loan my old AI, _Atom_ , to Connor? It's more than capable of piloting a ship."

Amaya tapped her chin. "We would probably have to add a few subroutines to _Atom_ , but I think that would be fine, yeah."

Romeo nodded. "Alright, so, all-in-all, I think we'll be ready to launch the rocket in about two months. Maybe three."

Amaya rolled her eyes, and said, "When we started like 2 months ago, he said he thought it would only take six weeks. Right, Jarvis?"

The AI's voice came over the speakers. "Yes, that is correct. Master Romeo did suggest it would take only 6 weeks."

Romeo glared at Amaya. "Turning my own AI against me?"

Amaya stuck out her tongue playfully, and Greg said, "Why is it taking so long?"

Romeo explained, "Well, finding scrap metal has been tougher than I thought... Then we've had to melt the metal and mold it using my blast furnace I built a few years back… Now that the outside of the ship is built, and the inside structure is done being built, we've got to assemble all the sensors and the electrical equipment, which will take up to a month."

Romeo paused and rubbed his chin. "I mean, it'll take me three weeks just to charge the core and get it running hot enough to initiate fusion. Then, another week or two to tune it and get it running at peak efficiency. It'll take Amaya a week or two to get the computer completely online and programmed to work with the ships' sensors and electronics while I'm getting the fusion core running. Once we have that done, it'll take us a few days to prepare to swap over from external power to internal power. Then we must let the battery charge for a few days to ensure the EM drive will have the extra juice for takeoff… There's just a lot to do."

Before Greg could ask more questions, Connor said, "That sounds like a lot of work, yeah. Well, we'll leave you to it, then. Thanks for the update."

Greg nodded. "Yeah, let us know if we can help with anything."

Romeo pulled the teleporter from his lab coat, but then he looked at Amaya. Then, he looked at Connor. "Actually, there is something Connor might help with…"

Connor raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Romeo suddenly seemed a bit shy. "W-well, see, I decided on a name for the ship, but I'm awful at art and stuff…"

Amaya sighed. "He's bad at art, and I told him you're a good artist. He wants you to paint the name on the hull for us."

Romeo nodded eagerly. "Yeah, that!"

Connor laughed. "Sure. What's the name?"

Romeo said, " _SS-Jenolan._ " 

Connor smiled. "Sure. I'll draw out something when we leave. I'll text you a picture." He was excited that someone _wanted_ him to draw something for them.

Romeo jumped and said, "Awesome!"

Greg said, "Alright, _now_ can we teleport home?"

Romeo nodded. "Yep!" He aimed the teleporter and pulled the trigger.

* * *

 **Later that evening,** Connor and Greg were watching TV at Greg's house, waiting for Greg's parents to get home. Connor glanced at the clock; about 9:15 PM. Connor looked at Greg as the TV show went to commercials. Greg spoke first: "So, you're gonna try out for one of the big roles in that play, huh?"

Connor nodded. "Yeah, I'm gonna try out for the part of Antoninus. The main character is like a mentor to him. Rider is gonna try out for Spartacus."

Greg raised an eyebrow. "Spartacus is the main character, right?"

Connor nodded. "Yeah. They wanted Spartacus to be right around 13 to 15 and look a little bit like he's from the Mediterranean. Rider fits that bill with his hair and tan."

Greg nodded, and it was silent for a minute or so. Connor said, "Finn was irritable tonight, wasn't he?"

Greg nodded. "Yeah, he's been like that since this morning. I think he just didn't feel good today or something."

Connor replied, "He went to sleep really easily for having been so irritable all evening. It was weird."

Greg nodded. "I know…"

Connor noticed movement behind them. He turned around and looked at it. "Speaking of Finn…"

Greg turned and saw Finn stood there in the doorway with his PJs on and tears in his eyes. Greg said, "You okay, Finny?" Finn shook his head. "Well, come here little guy."

Finn trotted over to Greg and Connor on the couch and finally released a sob. "My arms hurt and I'm cold."

Connor and Greg eyed each other. Connor picked the little one up and sat him on his lap. "Why does your arm hurt, Finn?"

Finn stuttered out, "I d-don't know." He sobbed again and coughed.

Greg squinted, and then said, "Does anything else hurt, Finn?"

Snot leaked from the boy's nose as he nodded. "My legs hurwt. And my belly."

Connor said, "Have they been hurting all day?" Finn nodded weakly and laid his head against Connor's chest and continued to cry quietly.

Greg said, "That's a weird combination of things… Feel of his head."

Connor put his hand on Finn's forehead, and Connor made an alarmed look at Greg. "He is burning up."

Greg sighed. "That's no good. I suppose I should call Dad…" Greg pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Wanna cuddle with Connor, Finny?" Finn nodded weakly and coughed. Greg looked at Connor. "Do you mind?"

Connor shook his head. "Not even a little. C'mon up here, Finn, you can lay back on the armrest, and I'll rub your tummy, okay?" Finn laid back on the armrest next to Connor, and Connor gently rubbed his belly.

Greg held the phone to his ear and said, "Hey, Dad. How far away are you and Mom? Finn is feeling kinda bad, and he's got a fever." Pause. "He said his arms and legs hurt. And his belly." Pause again. "Oh, no, he's sitting with Connor right now. I can go get a thermometer and some of that children's medicine, sure." Greg nodded a few times and grimaced. "Oh… Well, Connor, Dad says he hopes you've had a flu shot."

Connor admitted, "I have not…" He sighed and calmly added, "Oh boy…"

Greg said, "Well, I have, so let's swap spots really quick, and then you can talk to dad and run to grab the thermometer and the medicine."

Connor sighed again and shifted Finn gently. "Sorry, bud, I love you, but we can't be giving Connor the flu…"


	10. Loud as a Whisper

Hey all! Enjoy chapter 10. :)

 **As an aside,** I find it really weird that I've received NO reviews on this last chapter...  
Part of the reason I write these fics and publish them in multiple places is to practice my writing skills, and part of that involves some **reader feedback...** So... Not to be too direct, but **do you readers on this site still want to see this material?** I get reviews/comments from my audiences on other sites, but not here... If not, that's okay... I will just stop going through the trouble of adapting it over to this site's restrictive publishing environment and leave it to be published elsewhere. If you prefer to see my stories here on this site, that's great, but please leave me a review, even if it's just a short comment such as "I liked this chapter!1!"  
 **If I still don't see any reader feedback after the next chapter, I'm going to stop publishing new chapters on this site. Thank you for your consideration!**

Special thanks to my beta reader, ItIsShad0w.  
Also, if you've ever wanted to ask me things directly, check out my profile page and check out my Tumblr page. :)

One last thing: if this chapter seems a bit rushed... I'm playing with the style a bit, so it's supposed to sound a bit different. ;)

* * *

 **The next day,** Greg and Mandy lounged in her living room, watching TV. Mandy was sitting with her head resting on Greg's chest, and Greg said, "Y'know, this blue hair is starting to grow on me."

Mandy looked up at Greg and said, "Y'know, you helped me color it blue the other day." Her hair was a dark shade of blue that looked good with her brown eyes. "I would have thought that you would have gotten used to it immediately."

Greg sighs. "I dunno, you've had that purple hair ever since I met you. It's just odd to see you with a different color, but I'm starting to adjust."

Mandy smiled. "Well, good."

Greg placed an arm around her, and it was quiet aside from the TV for a moment. Then, Greg's cell phone rang, and Mandy shifted so he could answer it. "Hi, Mom… Alright, I'll be ready. How's Finn?" Greg grimaced. "Yikes. Yeah, I'll get ready then. Seeya." Greg put his phone back in his pocket.

Mandy eyed him, and when he didn't say anything, she said, "Well? How is he?"

Greg sighed. "He, uh… would be embarrassed if I told you. But, suffice to say the little guy hasn't had problems like this since he got out of pull-ups the other year."

Mandy had heard enough. "Oof. Sounds like he's having a rough time."

Greg nodded. "Yeah, Mom wants me to come home early. He refuses to let go of her and Dad, but dad has to work tonight, so she needs me to leave and come home to help out. She's about to drive over and get me."

Mandy shook her head. "Well, at least the flu shot you got works. Why didn't Finn get one?"

Greg sighed. "Well, he and I usually go to the doctor at the same time every year and get our flu shots then, but this year I had to go early for my swim team physical, and I got my shot then. I usually have to remind her, so I guess Mom forgot to get him his flu shot when he went last month." He stood up. "I've gotta get my coat, she's about to drive over and get me."

Mandy stood up with him and grabbed him with a hungry look. "Here. Take this home with you." She caught him and kissed him. She broke the kiss and bit his neck sensually, and Greg squirmed.

Greg curled his toes in his shoes; he loved that feeling. "Ahhhh, stop, Mandy. You know that gets me excited."

Mandy stopped and looked up. "Oh, hush. You like it."

Greg grinned; Mandy was a bit forceful sometimes, and he liked that. "You're not wrong." His eyes went wide. "You didn't leave a mark on me did you?!"

Mandy inspected the spot she'd bitten, "Well, maybe. It might even be a hickey in a minute or two!"

Greg's eye twitched. "Mandy, I swear."

Mandy laughed. "Chill, chill. No, there's not a mark." She swatted his arm, "Now go get your coat and tell Finny that Mandy hopes he feels better soon, okay?"

Greg laughed, "I will. C'mon, walk with me to the door."

* * *

 **Later that evening,** Connor was laying in bed, working on a sketch. It had been a strange day. His mom had insisted that he stay home for the day to see if he was going to catch Finn's flu–Connor didn't argue, of course. What 13-year-old would complain about getting a day off school? He had spent the day in his room playing video games. He had talked with Greg on the phone earlier, and Greg said they tested Finn and confirmed that he had the flu. The little one was feeling quite ill; he had a fever of 102.4°F and had been generally achy and miserable all day. Greg was cuddling the little one though, so everything was under control.

By now, it was night time, though, and Connor had been feeling cold, so he had covered up in bed. The conversation with Greg had left Connor a bit worried, so he had spent the last two hours painstakingly working on a sketch–he'd developed a headache, too, but he was too focused to care.

The focus all faded away when Connor heard his phone's message tone play. He glanced over and put his pencil down. He looked, and there was a message from Amaya. Connor quickly grabbed it.

 _Amaya!, 9:33 PM- Feeling okay?_

Connor scratched his head, and then typed back: _Yeah. Y?_

A few seconds later, Amaya replied: _Transform. Greg and I need your help. We've got a mission._

Connor sat his phone down quickly and looked at his sketch. It was a familiar face: Rider. He smiled at the progress; he enjoyed how he'd managed to shade in the boy's dimples almost flawlessly. He stood up and hit his bracelet, and transformed.

When he turned into a beam of light, everything froze though. The world glowed white around him, and Connor's body was there somehow. He saw a blue cat appear; it was Waysa, his spirit animal.

Waysa's tail twitched. In his head, Connor heard him say, _Don't go out with them tonight._

Connor was confused. _Why?,_ He thought back.

Waysa snarled. _There is no time to explain._ _Watch them from the HQ, child. I cannot protect you tonight._

Connor felt… offended. _Waysa, I'm not helpless, it's okay. You don't have to protect_ –

Waysa interrupted by pouncing on Connor's chest, and Connor found himself laying on the surface of whereever they are with Waysa on top of him. His voice shouted in Connor's head, _Foolish cub, you must do as I say! I cannot protect you tonight!_ Waysa put a paw on Connor's throat and bared his teeth in a show of aggression. _Do not go out with them! If you do, it may endanger us both!_

And then the vision faded and Catboy appeared in HQ, alongside Owlette and Gekko. He looked around and blinked. That was weird. Gekko picked up the odd vibe coming from Catboy and said, "You okay?"

Catboy looked around, still processing what Waysa had said. He almost said something about it, but, instead, he nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. What's the problem?"

PJ Robot flew over as Owlette said, "It's Night Ninja. He and the Ninjalinos are wreaking havoc around town."

Gekko said, "Yeah, I think Owlette mentioned something about them scattering trash cans."

Catboy eyed Owlette. "I might have the flu, and you called me for this?"

Owlette grumbled. "You said you were okay, and you're the only one of us fast enough to keep up with Night Ninja. Every time we see him these days, he's too fast for Gekko and me."

Catboy sighed. "I suppose you're right." He waved his hand, and the holographic picture player popped up. He tapped a button and the area around the Cat Car lit up. "Let's go." It seemed like in the last few months, every time Night Ninja and the crew came out, it was just for one thing: attention.

* * *

 **Thirty minutes later,** Catboy was regretting not following Waysa's instructions. He and Night Ninja were locked in the most protracted fight they'd ever had, in the middle of a street in a nice neighborhood. Night Ninja stood a few feet away from him, and they were surrounded by Ninjalinos. Owlette and Gekko were being kept busy fighting numerous Ninjalinos nearby. Catboy's breath was visible in the frigid air, and a noticeable patch of frost was forming on the front of Night Ninja's mask, near his mouth. "Come on, Night Ninja. Why are we still doing this?"

A contemptuous look flashed through Night Ninja's eyes, and he replied, "Because it's cold outside and I'm bored. Any other stupid questions?"

Catboy glowed blue and threw a punch at Night Ninja, but missed his mark when the boy dodged quickly. Catboy was surprised by a right hook to the jaw. Catboy hopped back; he and Night Ninja were getting close to evenly matched, these days. Catboy's headache from before he transformed was back, and he was steadily becoming annoyed. The Ninjalinos were laughing, and Owlette and Gekko looked over worriedly as they continued their own fights.

Night Ninja teased, "What? Did that sting? C'mon, I've got a new move, and I'm _dying_ to try it out on you, Kitty Boy."

Catboy laughed. "Oh really?" He was bluffing; Catboy felt terrible. He shifted his weight a bit, and said, "I'd like to see you try." Catboy dove downward and did a spinning kick to trip up the ninja, but Night Ninja read his intent and jumped just in time to dodge. Night Ninja landed nearby, and Catboy lunged to grab one of his hands. He missed and stumbled several feet beyond his target.

He turned around and Night Ninja was laughing. "Getting tired? You're usually faster than this."

Catboy said, "Just shut up and fight!"

Night Ninja swooped in and grabbed for Catboy's leg, but he moved out of the way. Catboy landed a solid kick on the boy's arm, and they resumed their ready stances a few feet apart. Catboy jumped over Night Ninja, and several blows were exchanged when Catboy landed. After a second, they separated, both breathing heavily.

Night Ninja laughed, and then disappeared in a cloud of smoke. In his fatigue, Catboy's reflexes betrayed him; he didn't see the Ninja zoom past him and reappear behind him. Night Ninja grabbed one of Catboy's arms and cleverly used his body weight to sling the hero around, and threw him into the air.

Catboy's reflexes kicked in, and he had what felt like two seconds to think. He looked where he was flying to, and saw a pond that appeared to have frozen over. He had just enough time to take a deep breath and then he plunged through the ice.

Night Ninja shouted triumphantly and high fived the group of Ninjalinos that had been watching the fight. "That was awesome!" The Ninjalinos cheered with him, and Night Ninja said, "Alright let's go home, guys. I've had my fun!"

The two groups of Ninjalinos fighting Gekko and Owlette dispersed, and they all ran down the street giggling. Catboy crawled his way out of the small pond and shivered desperately. Gekko and Owlette ran over. Owlette said, "Hey, are you okay?"

Catboy said, "C-c-cold, b-b-b-b-but yes." His teeth chattered as Gekko helped him stand up. Catboy collapsed back down onto the ground; he couldn't stand on his own because he was so cold. "J-just carry me."

Gekko picked Catboy up, and the wet hero clung to his warm friend. They walked in the direction of the Cat Car, and Owlette said, "Are we just gonna let Night Ninja get away?"

Gekko said, "He won this round. You know how he is. Trash stuff around town, fight Catboy, and then they go home."

Owlette huffed and said, "Yeah, but _usually_ we win."

With some degree of annoyance in his voice, Catboy said, "W-will you two shut up and get me somewhere warm?" As they moved along to the Cat Car, all Connor could think about was how pissed Waysa was going to be about this.


	11. Critical Care

WOW. I am floored by all of the reviews and love you all sent me in the latest chapter. Thank you for your support!

I'm not going to ask everyone to come through for me again, but this chapter is one where your thoughts are somewhat important to me, so if you have any ideas or critiques, PLEASE feel free (and encouraged) to leave them for me to consider in a review or private message. Thanks in advance!

 **WARNING: sensitive content ahead. Reader discretion is advised.**

Finally, special thanks go to my beta reader, ItIsShad0w. :)

* * *

 **When they returned to HQ,** Catboy had been brought into the warmth of HQ. Gekko was snuggling with him on the couch to help him warm up, while PJ Robot and Owlette fetched the blankets that they kept in the top of the treehouse.

Catboy shivered violently in Gekko's grasp and was near the verge of tears. "G-g-Greg? I'm sor-r-r-ry."

Gekko patted Catboy's back and said, "Hey, it's okay."

Before Catboy could respond, he flashed blue and _whoosh_. He was transformed back into Connor, and the bracelet on his wrist glowed brightly. After a second, it flashed bright white before going back to its normal unlit state. Connor was baffled, "W-what happened?" That was weird, but at least he was dried out now.

Gekko swung his head around just as PJ Robot and Owlette flew down. Gekko said, "Owlette! Did you have the computer transform him back?"

Owlette said, "No! We saw what just happened, though." She tossed some blankets down and said, "For now, wrap him up and keep him warm."

Connor was visibly shaken. "I messed up." As Gekko wrapped him up, Connor sniffled. "Waysa _told_ me not to go out with you two tonight."

Owlette flew over to the Picture Player and tapped a few controls as Gekko comforted Connor. She and Gekko flashed bright red and green, and they were transformed back into Amaya and Greg. Amaya ran back over and said, "What do you mean about that, Connor?"

Connor laid his head on Greg's chest, and he said, "Waysa appeared to me when I transformed. He told me not to leave HQ."

Amaya and Greg eyed each other, and Greg said, "Well, it's okay. Waysa might be mad, but he'll forgive you soon enough, I'm sure." Greg stroked his hair gently.

Amaya said, "Maybe Waysa is the one that transformed him back because it wasn't me who made him turn back into Catboy a minute ago."

Connor just continued shivering with a look of despair, and Greg's heart was heavy with worry. "Connor, buddy, we're gonna get you warmed up and then we'll go home. You can talk to Waysa tomorrow."

Connor nodded, and Amaya sat down with them and cuddled up under the covers with the boys. "Yeah, we'll tell Night Eagle and Koozye to talk to Waysa, too." PJ Robot joined them and reached out a hand to pat Connor's back.

Connor finally said, "Thank you." He laughed haltingly. "I am embarrassed. I can't believe I let Night Ninja do this to me."

Greg sighed. "Well, if it makes it any better, if you did catch Finn's flu, this will probably make it happen faster…"

Connor groaned and said, "Dammit." His head hurt and the places where Night Ninja hit him ached, too. What a crappy day this was turning out to be.

Greg added, "But, that means you can cuddle Finn if that's the case."

Amaya laughed at that tidbit, but, as much as Connor enjoyed snuggling the little one, it offered him little comfort at this moment. He flatly replied, "Yippee…"

* * *

 **The next morning,** Greg held Finn as he watched Alan line up an IV needle to the boy's arm. Alan looked up at Finn. "You're sure you don't feel like getting up? You need to _drink_ some water, little man." They were in the living room, and the boys were all sitting on the couch.

Finn shook his head. "No get up." He looked so tired in Greg's arms, and his face was a ghostly pale color. Linda watched them quietly in the background.

Alan sighed and nodded. "Fine, then I'm going to put this needle in your arm. Okay?" Finn nodded tiredly. Alan swabbed the spot he was going to pierce with alcohol and Greg winced sympathetically when the needle went into Finn's arm.

Brave little Finn didn't even flinch. Alan took the bag of clear fluid attached to the needle and opened a clamp, and hung the bag on a nearby stand. "There. You're such a brave boy Finn. Your big brother is sweating just watching this." Alan pulled out a gauze wrapping and gently secured the IV tubing to the boy's arm.

Finn giggled sluggishly and looked up at Greg. Greg shakily replied, "I don't like to watch it when people do needles."

Linda walked over and said, "Finn always has been fearless."

Alan stood up and said, "Yeah. When that bag of fluid is into him, remove the cannula." He stretched tiredly. "If something odd happens, call me." He kissed Linda and ruffled Greg's hair. "You three take care." He pointed at Finn and said, "AND you get some rest, little man." Finn nodded again and snuggled into Greg.

Seeing the cute scene, Alan looked at Linda. "How about we let Greg stay home? I've got to head back to the hospital, and you could use the help. Besides, if he hasn't gotten it yet, I think his flu shot is working."

Linda nodded. "Yeah, that sounds okay for today."

Greg grinned widely, despite the unfortunate circumstances. "Cool." He added, "Bye Dad!" As Alan walked out the front door. Alan waved at them and closed the door. Alan pulled his phone out of his pocket as he walked toward the car. A message from Hazel...

* * *

 **A few houses away,** Connor was laid in his bed, covered up completely. His mom had said he was being delirious after she woke him up earlier. He had babbled slightly in protest, but couldn't really argue because he couldn't feel himself. In fact, he felt like he was floating on a cloud, but at the same time, he still felt all the numerous aches and chills running through his body. The flu had hit him hard overnight.

Connor watched interestedly as his cat, Juliet, walked into his room; she wasn't her normal color, though. She was turning colors slowly, and she opened her mouth to meow. Her teeth seemed comically sharp. Connor heard birds chirping and what sounded like voices chattering around him, too.

Connor was jarred back into reality by the thermometer his mom put in his mouth beeping loudly. He grunted and grabbed the thermometer clumsily; he looked at the numbers, but it took him a few seconds to grasp what they meant. 40.9°C… "Holy shit." He struggled to understand what he needed to do… he knew that number was too high.

He moved himself to stand up. He weakly shouted, "Mom!" He tried to shout harder, but his voice cracked, "Momma!" His face was ghostly pale, his skin was clammy, and he felt his heart racing. He noticed that his breathing was faster than it should be.

It took all his willpower to make himself stand up, and he dropped the thermometer as he did. "Moooom!" He heard voices approaching his room, so he took a few clumsy steps. Then, his vision blurred and he felt dizzy. His chest felt tingly and then a fluttering feeling; his heart skipped a beat, and it _hurt_. He cried out in pain and lost his balance, which was already tenuous. Connor fell on the floor and hit his head with a _crack,_ causing a loud rumble throughout the rest of the second floor.

Juliet trotted over to him and meowed, and Hazel, followed by Greg's dad, Alan, appeared in the doorway a moment later just as her son started to convulse. "Oh my God." She rushed over to him, and Alan followed quickly.

* * *

 **Connor's next memories were odd.** He remembered having a series of fevered dreams, some of them about Night Ninja, some about Waysa, but most of them involved Rider. In one of the dreams, Connor found himself fighting Night Ninja again, but this time as Connor. Connor was no match for Night Ninja and was taking quite the beating. He was bloodied and bruised, and it was only getting worse.

Finally, there was a flash of blue, and Connor was suddenly in a forest, in a small clearing. He looked down at himself, and none of the blood was still there; the pain was gone. He looked around and saw a large blue cat. "Waysa!"

Waysa twitched his ears in acknowledgment and began licking one of his legs. A bloody gash ran down the cat's side. When Waysa didn't speak, Connor approached him. "Are you okay?"

Waysa looked up at him and showed his teeth. "I will live."

Connor looked nervous. He pointed to Waysa's wound. "D–did I do this to you?"

Waysa made a strange chuckling sound. "No." Pause. "I respect what you did last night. I was angry when I found out, but I've thought about it. I would have done the same thing in your place. I cannot fault you for behaving like me. I should have explained myself better."

Connor sat down next to the large blue cat. "Th-thanks?"

Waysa blinked. "Indeed." He licked his paw for a few seconds, and then said, "I had an encounter with a dark force last night. Some type of wolf spirit..." He looked up at Connor. "I fended it off, although we are investigating the encounter. Koozye was worried for my safety last night, much as I was for yours before I went out to confront the wolf."

Connor nodded. "So… We're okay, right?"

Waysa nodded. "Yes. Though, I am not certain that you will survive the night." He looked behind Connor, and Connor turned, too. The forest and sky in that direction had transformed into a view of Connor's body in his hospital room.

Connor was disturbed by the sight of himself wrapped up in all the wires and tubes. After a few seconds, Connor choked out, "I'm in the hospital… How bad is it?"

Waysa stood up and went over to lay against Connor. Once he was comfy, Waysa said, "You were near death when you arrived this morning. Your fever was too high. They have since lowered it, but they've put you into a coma to help your body heal itself."

Connor's face was slowly turning green. "Waysa… What happens if I do, y'know… die?"

Waysa changed his position and sat in the boy's lap. His raspy voice replied, "Don't worry about that, yet. Your condition has improved, but I have shielded your spirit from the deliriums of your mind and body… The dreams had become too much for me to watch you suffer through." Pause. "If you die, I promise that I will not leave you, little one… I will keep you safe. Does that ease your worries?"

Connor nodded silently as he stared at his body lying there on the bed in the room.

He blinked, and the scenery changed. He was laying on a comfortable bed with pillows under his head and a blanket on him. It was dark, now, and he was staring up at stars with the sounds of the forest around him. Waysa hopped onto his chest. Waysa looked at him in the eyes. "Let's not dwell on that. We can sleep together if you wish. Your dreams will be restful, here. We can talk about things in the morning… For now, I require rest."

Connor nodded. "Okay." He rolled onto his side and curled up with Waysa near his neck. He closed his eyes and fell asleep quickly.

* * *

Later, Connor reawakened and found his mind clear. Waysa, who was still next to his neck, said, "Good news: you survived the night."

Connor nodded slowly against his pillow. With no enthusiasm, he said, "Yay."

Waysa made his chuckling sound. "You humans are such strange creatures. You fear death, yet you joke about longing for it."

Connor sighed. "Well… I mean, I feel so misunderstood sometimes." He looked away. "Sometimes I wish I could just disappear, Waysa."

Waysa replied, "Is it because of Rider?"

Connor flinched; Waysa had hit the nail on the head. "Kinda. He makes me feel funny."

Waysa held still, and replied, "Let's talk about love."

Connor sighed and said, "Okay." He moved one of his arms and scratched behind Waysa's ears.

After several seconds of silence, Waysa said, "You love Finn, right?"

"Yeah, he's just like my own little brother."

Waysa said, "One of those feelings that you feel for Rider is love, too. A different kind of love from that you have for Finn or your parents or even Greg."

Connor felt his cheeks growing warm. He whispered, "I have been thinking about that recently."

Waysa licked his chops, and said, "But you've never felt that way about a girl, hmm?"

Connor closed his eyes and forced himself to admit it: "No. I never have… and I've met a lot of girls over the years."

Waysa purred quietly. "Well, maybe it's time we talk about that. You're too shy to tell your best friend about it, so here I am… Let's talk."


	12. In The Pale Moonlight

Thanks for your support, all. Keep those reviews coming, you're awesome!

 **WARNING: sensitive content ahead. Reader discretion is advised.**

Finally, special thanks go to my beta reader, ItIsShad0w. :)

* * *

 **That night,** Greg was in his living room with his mom and dad. Greg yelled, "If it were Finn in the hospital, you wouldn't be arguing with me!"

Linda stood up from the couch where she and Alan were sitting. "Greg Edmonds, do not raise your voice at me! I said no, and that's that! You could get sick, Greg!" Alan was silent; he had let Linda handle this one for the most part so far.

Greg stood his ground, despite the tears coming to his eyes. He pointed at Alan. "Dad goes to the hospital every day to save total strangers that are sick, too! You won't even let me go up there to see my best friend?! IF I HAVEN'T GOTTEN SICK YET WITH FINN, WHY WOULD I WITH CONNOR?"

Linda started to say something back, but Alan interrupted. "Linda, stop. He's won this one." She looked back at him in exasperation. "He can come with me in the morning. He can stay all day if he wants to."

"Alan, why?"

"Hang on. I'll tell you both." Alan raised a hand and beckoned Greg over. The boy was big, but he needed a hug from his dad. "Sit down." Greg did, and Alan wrapped an arm around him, and Greg sobbed. Linda looked on, and her gaze softened at the sight of this.

Alan took a deep breath and quietly explained, "Greg. By the time we got him to the hospital, he was… I've never seen a child his age with a fever that high." Alan was shaken, too, and tears formed in his eyes. "Your best friend almost died in my arms this morning, Greg. And all I could think about once we stabilized him was that it could have been you or Finn." Alan wiped his eyes with one hand and held Greg tight. "So, you're gonna get to see him in the morning, and that's that."

Now, Linda looked upset, too. "Oh, Alan. You didn't tell me." She sat down with the boys and snuggled with them, too.

* * *

Unfortunately, that wasn't the last thing Greg had to do that night; it was a full moon, which meant the Wolfies would be out. He and Owlette met up at the HQ, and PJ Robot showed them some surveillance footage. Owlette said, "Alright, some of them are at the park, and some of them are at the school. I hate to say that we should split up, but it seems like we should."

Gekko sighed. "PJ Robot?" The little robot beeped from his position nearby. "Is there any sign they're up to anything bad?" PJ Robot shook his head no and made an ambiguous face. Gekko looked at Owlette. "With Connor not here, we're outnumbered. We might run into trouble if they decide to do anything tonight."

Owlette nodded. "Yeah. We might have to call Armadylan."

Gekko rubbed his temples. "I was afraid you were going to say that."

Owlette sighed. "Well, how about we do some recon first?"

"Good idea. I'll take my PJ Rover."

Owlette replied, "Alright, I'll take the Owl Glider."

Gekko said, "Alright, let's go! I'll go to the park; you go to the school."

"Deal. Be careful, okay?"

Gekko nodded. "I will be."

So, Gekko and Owlette split up; Owlette in the Owl Glider, and Gekko on his PJ Rover. Gekko practically flew toward his destination, even though the cold wind stung at his face. As he neared the park where one of the Wolfies had been seen, he steeled himself mentally for what could be a difficult encounter.

He parked the rover behind a tree and ran the rest of the way into the park. He looked around; nothing was broken. He whirled around when he heard giggles and ran toward them.

Gekko's eyes locked on when he saw two figures sitting on a bench with their backs to him. It was Kevin, and someone Gekko didn't recognize. Is there a _fourth_ Wolfy now? Feeling fearless tonight, he said, "Ha! I found you!" Gekko's bravado dried up when he realized… Are they kissing? He stopped several feet away and said, "Oh, uhm, I'm sorry."

Kevin and the other boy pulled apart from one another and looked at Gekko. The unfamiliar boy looked up and said, "Who is this then, Kevin?"

Kevin took a moment to collect his wits, and replied, "Oh, th-this is Gekko!"

Gekko waved awkwardly. "Uh… Hi."

Gekko examined this new boy. Even though the other boy was bundled up heavily to stay warm, it was apparent that he wasn't a werewolf like Kevin; he looked to be about their age. He was quite lean in structure, a fair amount of muscle, but it wasn't noticeable. He was fair skinned, sporting messy hair, brown at the roots but gradually it lightens up to white at the tips. He had quite a friendly face and a solid British accent. Kevin said, "Oh, and Gekko, this is Ryan."

Gekko waved, suddenly feeling shy. He walked closer to the bench. "Hi, uh, Ryan." He could feel his cheeks turning red. What had he interrupted? A date?

"Heyya, I moved here from England a few months ago. It's a pleasure to meet you!" Ryan politely said to Gekko. He reached out his hand for a handshake, and Gekko took it.

"Heh, nice to meet you, too." Gekko quietly returned. "Did I, uh, interrupt something?" He enquired of the two boys in front of him.

"Not really, is he, hun?" Ryan replied, looking over at Kevin who was also bright red by this time.

"Haha no, I was just taking this one out on a little date while the other two are, well, being the other two," Kevin said, quite timidly.

"Oh," Gekko simply said, "Sorry, I saw you two here and thought you were up to no good like the other two."

"Don't worry; I won't let him get in any trouble, except in the bedroom!" Ryan commented, giving a little wink, and making Kevin go bright red.

"Chill man, I'm just messing with ya." Ryan giggled.

Kevin pushed him lightly and quietly said, "Ryan, don't embarrass me! Gekko's a friend."

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Is he, then?"

Gekko spoke, finally. "I'd like to think so, yeah." He paused and pointed at Kevin. "I… I didn't know you're gay? Or bi?"

Kevin moved his shaggy hair back and said, "Gay, and really? I thought it was obvious."

Gekko said, "I mean, it was obvious a minute ago when you, uh, had your tongue down Ryan's throat." Gekko felt himself beginning to blush, too. Something about this situation got his blood moving.

Ryan laughed. "Hey now, I wasn't the one receiving most of the tongue."

Gekko laughed, too and decided to leave the two alone; he wouldn't want to be interrupted if it was him and Mandy. "Well, whatever. I'm glad you two are having fun… I suppose I'll go see what Rip and Howler are doing."

Kevin interjected, "Probably not much." He smiled slyly. "I told them to behave tonight because Ryan and I were meeting up."

Ryan eyed the werewolf. "You did? I'm proud of you, but I'm right surprised that they listened."

Kevin smiled and winked. "I've got some tricks up my sleeve." He stood up and said, "Speaking of which, I'll show you a few of them if we can go back to your house."

Ryan stood up to and said, "Right then, let's go." He looked at Gekko and said, "Cheers, Gekko." They started walking away.

Kevin added, "Bye, Gekko! Tell Catboy and Owlette hi."

Gekko said, "Sure… and uh, cheers, boys… You two stay warm." As they walked away, Gekko figured that those two definitely didn't need any help staying warm. He trotted back towards his PJ Rover and glanced back once more. He looked just in time to see the two boys kiss lightly and giggle. They were a cute couple, Gekko decided.

Gekko got back to his PJ Rover and tapped his ear. "Owlette. I found Kevin and he's not up to anything nefarious… I think. Did you find Rip and Howler?"

Over the communicator, Owlette came back over, saying, "Yeah, but in the weirdest way. Meet me back at HQ; I'll fly you over to see this."

Gekko called back, "Okay, on my way."

* * *

 **Twenty minutes later,** Gekko and Owlette watched from atop a tall building as Rip and Howler played some sort of board game at a picnic table near their school. "That's odd," Gekko said quietly. "Rip and Howler are sitting still? Miracles are real." Rip was wearing a black hoodie, in contrast to her usual attire. Howler was clothed as normal; the cold apparently didn't bother him very much.

Owlette said, "Yeah before the wind changed, I could hear them grumbling about Kevin telling them to behave tonight. Howler said something like 'It's too cold just to be sitting still,' but Rip told him to shut up because Kevin was on a date or something. That was all I heard."

Gekko tapped his chin. "I mean, yeah, as I told you in the Owl Glider, he is definitely on a date."

Owlette snickered. "I still can't believe you were surprised that Kevin is gay. You know he has hit on you before, right?"

Gekko looked at Owlette seriously, and loudly said, "How was I supposed to know?" He clamped a hand over his mouth, and they ducked behind a wall; the sound of his voice echoed slightly through the area they were observing. They waited several seconds and then moved back up to their previous perch. Rip and Howler were scanning the area, now. They ducked back down, and Gekko quietly said, "Look, the point is, they're behaving… Let's just go home. It's too cold for this."

Owlette nodded, and they moved to the other side of the building. Owlette took Gekko's hand, and they flew down to the Owl Glider parked nearby. They hopped inside, and took off, chattering lightly about Connor and school. They reached HQ and landed the glider. They went down the elevators, and Owlette changed the subject when they stepped out. "Oh, did you see Rip's new hair color?"

Gekko shook his head. "Nope."

As they approached the picture player, they waved at PJ Robot, and Owlette said, "It's almost Catboy's blue, now. It's pretty wild."

Gekko nodded. "Cool. Ready to go home?"

Owlette stretched and said, "Yep. Seeya PJ Robot." She hit a few buttons on the picture player, and they transformed into beams of light and were whisked away from the HQ.

* * *

When Greg got home, he stretched tiredly and then sat down on his bed. He picked up his phone from his nightstand and unlocked it. He admired the background photo of Mandy with her new hair color, that cute black hoodie she'd been wearing around in the cold lately, and that distinct, fierce grin that she liked to make when she was photographed. He didn't have any new notifications, so he locked the phone, and laid down and covered up, ready to sleep.

A minute or so passed, and something clicked in his mind. His eyes shot open and were illuminated by the pale moonlight streaming in from the nearby window. "Oh my God, my girlfriend is a werewolf."


	13. Think Tank

Thanks for your support, all. Keep those reviews coming, you're awesome!

 **WARNING: sensitive content ahead. Reader discretion is advised.**

Finally, special thanks go to my beta reader, ItIsShad0w. :)

This chapter is a long one; over 3300 words! Get comfy before reading it! 3

* * *

 **Later that night,** a voice awakened Finn gently. "F-Finn?" Finn stretched and blinked tiredly. It was dark in the preschooler's room, aside from his elephant nightlight. He blinked once more and recognized the tall figure poking him. The smell and size of the person were unmistakable.

Finn rubbed his eyes and said, "Greg?" Luckily Finn was a light sleeper, unlike his big brother. He coughed hard; it hurt his chest, but he was kinda used to it by now. He could make out Greg's face in the darkened room, now; he looked weird. Were there tears in Greg's eyes?

Greg glanced around the room. It was cluttered with toys, and there was a cute little elephant-shaped nightlight shining in the corner. A couple of hours earlier, Greg had found himself in a strange predicament… He had called Amaya, and she agreed it was possible that Mandy was Rip; Greg even noted that she'd told him her gay cousin had a British boyfriend. That lined up with Kevin and Ryan perfectly. Finn spoke again, "Greggy?"

Greg anxiously looked back at Finn, and he suddenly felt ashamed of himself for this, but he asked anyway. "C-can I… Can I sleep with you, Finn?" This was quite the role reversal; usually, it was the other way around.

Amaya had tried to calm Greg down but to no avail. So, he had next called PJ Robot and told him to review surveillance footage and see what he could learn. That was almost an hour ago, and Greg had been simmering in anguish in his bed. Now, it was almost 3AM, and Greg was an anxious wreck, and he knew he had to sleep.

Finn gazed up at the teenager, processing the question for a second before deciding he knew what to do. He had seen it done lots of times before. "Okay." He yawned and patted the spot next to him. "Did you have a bad dweam?" Finn felt worried for his big brother; what could make Greg cry?

Greg was lucky that he and Finn had the same size bed. He gently climbed into the bed next to his baby brother, tears coming to his eyes. He decided not to try and explain it fully. "I-I've just had a rough day and need some cuddles." He sniffled, and a few tears dripped from his eyes. He couldn't hold them back anymore. "Thank you, buddy. I owe you one." He took a haggard breath and sobbed.

Finn decided it didn't matter why Greg was sad. He hugged him from the side and tiredly said, "No cry." He tiredly mimicked what Greg does for him by rubbing Greg's belly—well, Finn rubbed Greg's chest, but it's the thought that counts. With his cute little voice, he said, "You're safe wif me."

Greg knew what the little one was doing, and he couldn't contain himself. His heart hurt, so he cried openly, now. "I know bud, I know." He clutched Finn close and said, "I love you, little guy."

Finn ended up in position on top of Greg's belly. The tired tot wrapped his arms around his big brother's neck and laid his head in the spot between Greg's head and shoulders. He coughed, and said, "wuv you, bubby."

And the brothers cuddled like that until Greg's tears dried up a few minutes later. Greg exchanged a few more words with Finn, and then they were silent as Greg pulled the covers up around them. They were still in the hugging position when Finn fell asleep. After that, Greg held still and focused on the feeling of being chest-to-chest with Finn. He felt the steady thumping from Finn's heartbeat on his own chest, and it had a calming effect on him. After a few minutes of focusing on that, Greg finally fell asleep.

* * *

 **The next morning,** Greg groggily stepped inside Connor's room at the older boy's house. Emotionally, he didn't feel much better, although the cuddles from Finn had really helped. He set about his task: grab Connor a set of clothes from home. They hadn't woken him yet, but they're going to stop the medicines that are sedating him, so he'll be awake today and home tomorrow if his illness is determined to be under control.

Greg grabbed some pants and a shirt from Connor's closet, then he walked over to the dresser. He fished around in the underwear drawer a bit to find the blue and light blue striped briefs that Connor likes. Once he did, Greg sat them down on the dresser and saw Connor's sketchbook there, too.

The book is open to a very detailed sketch of a person. "That's Rider." Greg admired the features of the boy and quietly said, "Connor really did a good job of sketching him." He tapped his chin and noticed a little heart drawn at the bottom of the page. In his mind, Greg pondered the symbol. _I wonder why he put that there._

Greg's thinking was interrupted by Alan shouting from downstairs. "Greg! Move it, kid!"

"Okay!" he scrambled to grab some socks, then picked the underwear back up. He snapped a quick photo of the sketch with his cell phone and dashed out of the room.

* * *

 **Later, in Waysa's dream world,** Connor and Waysa had long since finished their chattering about love. Now, they were doing something radically different. Catboy was fighting Night Ninja again!

Waysa's voice emanated from all directions as Catboy threw Night Ninja across a road and into a line of bushes. "Good! You're getting the hang of it now."

Night Ninja disappeared, and Catboy looked around for Waysa. "You think so? I didn't know that it was that easy to throw someone." Waysa had created a little scenario for Catboy to practice some moves.

The scenario changed, and Catboy was suddenly Connor, and they were back in the forest where Waysa had originally brought Connor. Waysa stood in front of Connor and twitched his tail. "You've been at it for four hours, Connor. I appreciate the persistence, but I think you have the idea."

Connor raised an eyebrow. "Really? Four hours? I lost track of time. Maybe because I don't get tired here." Connor plopped down in the grass and sat with his legs crossed.

Waysa rubbed against Connor's leg, and replied, "Indeed."

As Waysa stepped into the boy's lap, Connor said, "So, what do we do now?"

Waysa laid down and purred comfortably. "Look."

Connor looked up at the horizon, where there was now an image of Greg anxiously pacing around the hospital room, talking on his cell phone. "He looks upset… Where are my parents?"

Waysa replied, "Indeed. He's learned that the female he is courting is the werewolf called Rip. And your parents are both gone to eat and rest. Greg's father finally convinced them to leave your side for a moment."

Connor tapped his chin. "How'd you know that?" He accepted the statement without question; he had come to appreciate that asking the spirit animals too many questions sometimes led to more confusion than answers.

Waysa opened one eye and looked up at Connor. "While you sparred with the illusion, I spoke with Night Eagle and Koozye." He yawned and showed off his sharp teeth. "Koozye told me it might be helpful for me to wake you up soon. Greg is… Stressed, to say the least. You reawakening would likely be helpful."

Connor scratched Waysa's head. "Is that all you three spoke about?"

Waysa's ear twitched. "No." Connor stopped scratching Waysa's ear, which Waysa knew meant he should continue. "Night Eagle has monitored the wolf spirit that attacked me the other day skulking around the edges of our territory, as well. You shouldn't worry about it. We will deal with it if it draws too near. I just want you to focus on talking to Greg about what we talked about earlier."

Connor sighed. "Okay… So, time for me to wake up… Will it hurt?"

Waysa's head spun upwards, and his eyes opened. "What? Waking up?"

Connor nodded. "Yeah." Connor watched Greg moving around in front of him.

Waysa said, "No, but your body will ache because of your flu." Waysa turned and watched as Greg finished the phone call and sat down, cradling his head in his hands. "And now looks like as good a time as ever. Think of something clever to say, eh?" He looked back at Connor with a wily glitter in his eyes.

Connor wasn't satisfied with that answer, but the forest faded around him as he said, "What?! Waysa, hang on, I'm-!"

* * *

Connor awoke with an oxygen mask over his face, and the feeling of tubes going into one of his arms and a score of EKG leads attached to his chest with wires. The other arm was also covered with several sensors and various cables. AND THEN he felt the throbbing, dull ache in his head and body. He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling above him as he consciously willed himself to breathe.

After a few seconds of processing the various aches in his body and chest, hindered by a throbbing, sharp pain in his head, Connor noticed that his stomach felt more empty than it ever had before. He groaned and said into his oxygen mask, "Fuuuuuck." Waysa had a talent for understatement.

Greg was sitting nearby with a sad look, but that all changed at the muffled sound of Connor's voice. "Connor?!" He practically jumped over to the bedside, and their eyes met. "Connor! You're in the hospital, don't jerk around, okay?"

Connor smiled and weakly raised his hand up and grabbed Greg's own hand. He used the other side to pull off his oxygen mask. He took a deep breath and gruffly said, "I know… Dude, Waysa and I watched you whining on the phone out here. …" He coughed and took a moment to recover. "I made him wake me up just to tell you to shut up." Connor's eyes betrayed his real intention, though; he had missed the blonde boy.

Tears came to Greg's eyes, and he laughed as he squeezed the boy's hand. "You're back." He let go of the hand and rested his head on Connor's chest and hugged him tightly. He sobbed joyously. "You scared us all so much."

Connor chuckled; he didn't even mind that the hug kinda hurt. "Nah, you can't get rid of me that easily."

Greg laughed, and through tears, said, "No! Don't talk like that! Just be quiet. I need a hug from you." After a few more seconds, he choked out, "I was so worried, man."

Connor gently patted the boy's back. "You're gonna get tears all over my gown, jerk."

Greg giggled. Between sobs and laughs, he said, "Connor, shut up. We thought we might lose you yesterday." The sobs gave way to laughs, and Greg tearfully told Connor, "Man, you're my best friend."

Connor laughed with him, "You too, buddy." After a few more seconds, Connor said, "Y'know this hug kinda hurts…" He took a heavy breath. "I could use a cuddle, though, if you can fit yourself up here…"

Greg let go of him and stood back up. Greg wiped the tears from his eyes, and said, "Okay. Want me to call your mom?"

Connor shook his head as he replaced the oxygen mask. "No, but maybe your dad?" He took a deep breath of the oxygen from the mask. "I think he might have saved my life, so I should probably… say thanks."

Greg nodded and pulled out his phone. He dialed a number, and it picked up almost immediately. With a wavering voice, Greg said, "Dad! He's awake! You gotta come up here!"

 **Later that day,** Connor was doing better, but he definitely wasn't coming home today. Connor's parents had ducked out to go home to shower and eat, now that he was in the clear and stabilized. They had left Connor in the capable hands of Greg, who was standing next to Connor's bed, holding Connor's hand as Alan tended to Connor's other arm. Greg was making a point of looking away from Connor, at the moment.

Alan said, "Alright, this might pinch a little, okay kiddo?" Connor nodded and gritted his teeth. He watched as Alan gently pulled the IV needle from his arm and he groaned in pain. His grip on Greg's hand intensified. "You're doing good…" After another moment, the needle was out, and Alan placed some gauze over the wound. "Great job!" He started to tape it up.

Connor released his breath and groaned. That felt so weird. "Thanks, Doctor E." He looked at Greg, whose eyes were clamped shut firmly. "Greg." Connor rolled his eyes when Greg grunted in reply. "Greg, you can open your eyes. Ya big wuss."

Greg cracked his eye open and sighed in relief before relaxing his posture. "I'm sorry, I just don't like watching needles."

Alan eyed Greg. "Y'know, I've placed at least four or five intravenous lines in you over the years, Greg. You're always so brave when it's you getting the needle. What's the deal?"

Greg shrugged. "I dunno… It just looks creepy to watch it happen; it makes my skin crawl." Alan and Connor both stared at him. Greg huffed and said, "Dad, you're a doctor, you do it for a living. You don't count."

Alan laughed as he finished disposing of the waste from Connor's IV. "Whatever makes you feel better, kiddo." He pulled off his gloves and threw them into a nearby container. "Look, I've gotta go. Tell one of the nurses to page me if you need anything else, okay? Oh, and Linda said Finn was worried about you, too, Connor. You two should give him a call soon, okay?"

Connor nodded, and said, "Thanks for coming up here special to take out my IV, Doctor E. We'll call Finn in a little bit." He and Greg waved goodbye as Alan left.

Greg walked back over to the chair next to the bed. "So, Amaya said we didn't have school today. They canceled it for the rest of the week because of so many people being sick."

Connor coughed and laid his head back onto the pillow. "I can see why. This really blows." Connor closed his eyes and thought for a second.

Greg said, "Yeah, just your luck that you'd get the flu right when it starts to warm up outside." The weather had warmed up considerably since Connor's encounter with Night Ninja the other night.

Connor grunted. After a moment's silence, he said, "You wanna talk about Mandy?" Greg had told him about the discovery they had made about Mandy. Using surveillance footage, Amaya and PJ Robot determined that she probably is Rip, the werewolf.

Greg sighed. "No, not yet…" After a few moments of silence, Greg said, "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

Greg opened his phone and handed it to Connor. "It's about this."

Connor took the smartphone and found a photo of the sketch he had drawn of Rider the other day. He quietly said, "Uh… W-what about it?"

Greg said, "Well, I saw it when I was grabbing those clothes for you earlier today. And I thought it was a good sketch, and then I noticed that little heart you drew at the bottom of the page… I didn't mean to be nosey…" Greg's voice trailed off, and his eyes drifted away from Connor's. He stared outside the room's window, where rain could be seen pelting the city.

Connor took a deep breath and handed Greg back his phone. He tried to make himself calm, but he instead blurted out, "I'm gay." That felt right. It was nice to say it to someone besides Waysa. "I have… a crush on Rider." He held his breath waiting for Greg to reply.

Greg smiled slyly. "I knew it." Connor grinned ear-to-ear.

Connor felt relieved and breathed easily, now. He giggled happily. "Waysa made me promise to tell someone about it while I was hanging with him. Preferably you." Pause, and Connor quietly said, "I like boys." It just makes sense.

Greg tapped his chin. "So, Waysa and I are the only ones that know?" Connor nodded excitedly. Greg glanced at the EKG monitor next to Connor, and said, "Your heart rate went up, lover boy."

Connor's cheeks turned red. "Good! That was exciting! I've been trying to make sense of it since I was like nine and… Now, here we are and… and… Someone knows, now! Heck, _I know_ , now!"

Greg stood up and offered him a hug. "Good." Connor squeezed Greg happily, and Greg added, "So, this makes you the third person I found out is gay in the last 24 hours."

Connor released the hug and smiled. Greg had told Connor about the encounter with the Wolfies last night. "I'm not surprised that Kevin is gay, honestly."

Greg shrugged. "I mean, it seems so obvious now that I look back on it."

Connor sighed; the excitement was wearing off, and his body was beginning to ache again. He said, "Do you think my parents will freak out?"

Greg shook his head. "Uh, no. I think they'll take it alright. Your mom probably knew before you did, dude."

Connor hadn't considered that; Greg made a good point, though. He laid back down, and sheepishly said, "W-will you stay with me when I tell my parents? When they get back?"

Greg nodded. "Sure, dude. I'll hold your hand if you want." Greg glanced back at the heart monitor, and added, "Now, you need to calm down before the nurses come running in thinking you're having some kind of attack."

Connor just felt so bubbly and happy that he had to giggle lethargically. Someone knows, now! Not only that, it is Greg who knows, and he's okay with it. That's all that mattered to Connor right now.

* * *

 **A few hours later, it was almost 9PM.** The sounds of power tools echoed throughout Romeo's lab and were especially loud throughout the _Jenolan,_ wherein Amaya sat wiring the work station consoles up to the computer. She shouted, "Romeo!"

After a few seconds, she heard some loud mechanical noises go silent in the deck below her, and a boy shouted, "WHAT?"

Amaya smiled to herself. She liked to mess with him a bit occasionally. She shouted back, "You okay down there?"

There was some muffled cursing, and then a shouted reply from Romeo. "I'm just setting up the fusion core, same as I was thirty minutes ago! You?"

"I'm still finishing wiring up the number three computer console! Just wanted to chatter for a minute!"

There was a pause, and Romeo shouted back, "Well, alright, then… Have fun up there. I'm gonna keep working." The loud mechanical noises resumed, and Amaya giggled to herself as she continued running wires into the console's buttons.

A red flash nearby caught her attention. She looked up and saw her spirit animal, Night Eagle, perched on one of the other consoles. The large owl blinked at her, and Amaya raised an eyebrow. "Night Eagle?" It was inside their spirit animal's powers to appear like this, in the form of a hallucination-like apparition, but it was exceedingly rare that they appeared to the kids this way.

The glowing spirit animal spoke in a flat feminine voice. "We need your help."

Amaya said, "What with?"

Night Eagle blinked. "Waysa has been attacked by a dark entity. Waysa was gravely wounded before Koozye and I could chase the wolf away. It is too clever; we need help." She flapped her wings urgently, and a patch of blood was briefly visible on one side of her feathers before she calmed down.

Amaya frantically said, "What? A wolf? Are you okay?"

Night Eagle replied, "There is no time, Amaya! Transform, quickly, or all will be lost. I will explain when you transform." With a fatigued voice, she said, "I cannot hold this form any longer." With that, Night Eagle faded away.

Amaya stood up and said, "Who?" She looked around and then ran to the nearby ladder. "Romeo!"

* * *

 **A final author's note: if you don't like "the gay stuff," it might be time to find something else to read. It's not going away. :) Thanks for reading!**


	14. Someone to Watch Over Me

Seriously. Reviews. C'mon, y'all. Please? Doesn't have to be much, just, "I enjoyed this chapter, ct7. :3" or, heck, you could even say, "Yo, this chapter was kinda boring. I didn't like how you did [thing]." That would still make me happy, lol.

That said, I guess I won't stop publishing here, but unless the reviews pick up on here, **I am** going to slow down significantly on how quickly the chapters make it over to here. As it is, I've waited nearly a week to publish this one on here... Whereas I had previously been publishing to all 3 sites at once.

Anywho... Special thanks go to my beta reader, ItIsShad0w. :) Enjoy.

* * *

 **A few minutes later,** Amaya appeared into a brightly lit forest clearing when she transformed. All three of the spirit animals were there. Amaya examined them; the lizard, Koozye, was missing her tail. She stood protectively in front of Waysa, who was in bad shape. The cat's blue fur was matted with crimson blood, and his chest rose and fell haggardly. Night Eagle said, "She's here, Waysa."

Waysa's head rose slightly. "Come… Come here, child."

Amaya ran over to the cat. This entire situation was so confusing; Amaya didn't even know their spirit animals could be injured. "Y-yes?" She got down on a knee next to him.

Waysa's eyes fluttered. He said, "We must… awaken Basai. Go to Finn." The heavy sound of Waysa's breathing was odd; it was rare to hear the cat breathe.

Koozye eyed Owlette. "He has a bracelet. Activate it."

Amaya eyed Night Eagle, who was anxiously surveying the area. "Will you three be okay?" A growling sound emanated from the wooded area nearby and made Amaya's skin prickle.

With a nervous look, Night Eagle quietly said, "Yes. We have an alternate plan, too. Activate the bracelet and come back to HQ. We will fix whatever damage you cause, now go!"

* * *

 **A minute later,** thunder rumbled as Owlette flew the Owl Glider out of the HQ. She coaxed the vehicle to fly faster until she arrived at Greg's house. Lighting flashed as she landed the glider and opened the cockpit. As she flew out of the glider, a sudden burst of wind blew Owlette into the fence, and she cursed. "It wasn't storming like this a minute ago!"

As if in reply, lightning struck nearby, and the boom of thunder made Owlette's ears hurt. Rain pelted her as she flew up to the window at the end of the Edmonds' upstairs hallway. "Super Owl Feathers!" Feathers shot from her fingertips, and the window shattered. Owlette flew inside and landed at the doorway to Finn's room.

She ran inside and saw the preschooler was still awake, playing with some toys. "Finn!"

Finn appeared afraid. "Who are you?"

Owlette smiled. "I am Amaya." She pulled off her mask, and the little one relaxed.

Finn tapped his chin and sat his toys down. "You look funny without glasses."

Amaya smiled. "Yeah." She looked down at Finn's wrist. Just as Koozye had said, there was a glowing grey bracelet there, similar to the one the PJ Masks have. Had he always had that? "I need your help, Finn." She sat down next to him. "See your bracelet?" Finn nodded. "Does it always glow?"

Finn shook his head. "No, just sometimes."

Amaya noticed he was wearing a set of elephant-print footie pajamas. She'd never thought about it before, but he's had those PJ's for years… Shouldn't he have outgrown them by now? She re-focused, though, and said, "Push it. If you do, you'll get a cool costume, like me." She pulled on her mask and stuck her tongue out, trying her best not to seem nervous.

Finn's eyes lit up. "Really?" Amaya nodded, and he stood up, and said, "Okay!" He brought his opposite hand down on the bracelet, and there was a blinding white flash of lightning outside Finn's window.

When Owlette could see again, nothing was there. Finn was gone. "What the…?" She stood up and looked around; there were scorch marks where Finn had been standing.

Another voice chimed in. "Oh my…" Owlette turned around just in time to see Linda faint.

Owlette said, "Oh, shit." She ran over to the woman, and she seemed okay. She stood up apprehensively, and said, "Screw it, Night Eagle said they'd fix everything."

She flew down the hallway and back toward the Owl Glider. Just as she did, she heard a deafeningly loud call, " _KYAAAA!_ " The nearly five-second long screech sounded like a hawk and struck fear into Amaya's heart. She looked around frantically and saw a winged monstrosity dive down in front of her. It appeared like an eagle, but the rear feathers of its wings and tail glowed blue. The bird's feathers cackled with electricity. Oh, and its wingspan was probably more than forty feet.

She stopped dead, with the wind howling around her, and said, "Holy crap!" She had no time to flee; when it flapped its wings, lightning struck her, and she disappeared. The rain and wind continued to pummel the city and the bird circled the sky and screeched again before fading away in another flash of lightning.

* * *

 **After the flash, Finn appeared in a wooded area, still in his pajamas**. "Wow." He suddenly felt better; no more aches and chills. He looked around and gasped. "An elephant!"

Standing twice Finn's height, a juvenile elephant trumpeted. With a friendly male voice, it said, "Hello."

Finn jumped, "Ah! You talk?" He looked around for any more surprises. When none were forthcoming, he cautiously approached the elephant. "I'm Finn."

The elephant reached its trunk out and tickled Finn's side, causing him to giggle. "I know. I am Basai."

Finn screamed and ran over to hug one of the elephant's legs. "Can we be friends?"

"Sure." Basai used his trunk to pick the boy up, and said, "We are going to have a visitor, soon. He is a friend, okay? Even if he appears scary."

Finn nodded. "Okay!"

Basai said, "In fact, there he is now, with another guest."

A giant bird landed nearby. A pink flash accompanied it's landing, and Amaya appeared nearby, looking confused.

"What the heck?" She jerked her head around a few times, and ran over to Finn and Basai, ready to protect the little one from the menacing bird. "Leave him alone!" She put her arms out defensively.

Finn happily shouted, "Amaya!" He wasn't bothered by the bird. Why should he be? Basai would protect him.

The bird drew in its wings and Amaya felt a surge of terror in her heart. A bright light flashed and the elephant Basai said, "Calm yourself, owl-child. He is a friend."

Amaya looked back at the elephant and relaxed slightly. Finn looked on, awestruck by the sight of a boy standing in front of them with a blanket made of feathers wrapped around him. The boy's skin was a reddish caramel color. The first thing Amaya noticed about the boy was his unsettling, grotesque smile. Then chills ran down her back as she studied the paint on his face; it made him appear to have six eyes. His real eyes had golden irises, and they contained a hideous intelligence that just wasn't right for a boy of his age. All his facial features seemed healthy, but the smile and the look in his eyes struck a feeling of fear into Amaya.

The boy looked younger than Amaya, but his voice didn't sound quite right when he said, "Do I frighten you, Amaya?" His voice had an authoritative tone to it that was unnatural for a child of his size, although the pitch and timbre of his voice both sounded right for a prepubescent boy.

The boy dropped his blanket and revealed his only covering was a loincloth. His body was taut and athletic, and his upper body was completely covered in tattoos.

Chills ran down Amaya's neck. "Y-yes." She nervously asked, "What are you?"

Much to Amaya's surprise, Finn said, "His name is Thunderbird." He wriggled in Basai's grasp, and the elephant let him down.

Thunderbird said, "I am also called Baraqiel." He grinned and showed off unusually sharp teeth.

Amaya grabbed Finn protectively as he walked toward Thunderbird. "Finn, no!"

Thunderbird snarled, and said, "I will not harm him. Release him. Now."

Amaya shook her head and cradled the child against her chest. "No!"

Finn wriggled and said, "Amaya, lemme go!"

Basai tapped Amaya's shoulder with his trunk. "Let him go. He is safe."

Amaya looked around anxiously, and said, "I… Okay." She sat Finn down.

As Finn walked over to Thunderbird, Basai snorted, and said, "I didn't know the two of you were already acquainted."

Thunderbird flatly said, "You'd have to ask Koozye and Waysa about it."

Finn approached the boy and said, "I know you."

Thunderbird crouched down to Finn's level and said, "Indeed you do." He looked over to Amaya. "I brought you here solely at the request of Night Eagle, Amaya. She wanted me to tell you the issue has been handled. The wolf is exterminated."

Amaya nodded solemnly in reply. "O-okay."

Thunderbird looked back at Finn. "You assisted my friends by coming here, Finn. As my thanks, I have cured your sickness."

Finn smiled and hugged the boy. All he'd done was mess with a bracelet. "You welcome." He let go, and said, "Can you help someone else, too?"

Thunderbird raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps. Who?"

"My friend, Connor. He doesn't feel good…" Finn tapped his chin. "He's in da hos… hopi… hospital!"

Thunderbird smiled. "Very well. I will have to borrow your body to do that; is that okay?"

Finn nodded, and said, "Okay."

Thunderbird nodded and looked back at Amaya. "You. You and the Romeo boy need to be careful. That wolf was… _Anomalous._ It was not from this reality. That portal you two are attempting to meddle with could be… dangerous." He grinned and said, "Let's go, Finn."

Finn reached his hand out, and Thunderbird took his hand. There was a bright golden flash, and before Amaya could ask questions, she _poofed_ back into the fusion core room where Romeo was working with a welding torch.

She blinked, and Romeo stopped his welding. "That was fast."

Amaya sighed. "It was kinda confusing, too."

"Is Night Eagle okay?"

Amaya rubbed her temples, "Yeah. Let's just finish what we've gotta do tonight and go home."


	15. PJ Finn

Reviews picked up! Yay! I knew people were reading the stories, lol, it was just frustrating that nobody wanted to leave me any reviews, good or bad. If y'all keep leaving me reviews (even if they're super short!), I promise I'll publish new chapters on here on the same day they're published elsewhere. Deal?

Special thanks to my beta reader, ItIsShad0w. Also, to the other three readers that helped me screen some of the writing this time through! You know who you are.

Enjoy!

* * *

At the hospital, in Connor's room, Greg had his head laid back in his chair; he'd been here all day and was getting tired. The topic of conversation wasn't helping. Greg looked over at Connor despondently and said, "I just don't know what to do."

Connor sat up in the bed and coughed miserably. He looked over at Greg and said, "Well…" He paused for a moment; the doctor had put him on some sort of pain medication about an hour ago to assist with his muscle aches, which had worsened significantly. Since then, he hadn't been able to think quite straight. "If she turns into a werewolf on nights that the moon is full… forever. Do you think you could… live with that? Knowing she has caused you a lot of hurt and discomfort over the… the… uh… years?"

Greg pulled his knees up into his chair with him and hugged them to his chest. After several seconds, he shook his head. In a quiet voice, he replied, "No."

Connor turned onto his side. "Then you know what you have to do." He moved his arm to make himself comfortable, and accidentally pulled several of the EKG leads from his chest. "Oops." He giggled.

A subdued alarm sounded from the heart monitor, and Greg sighed. "Connor, be careful dude. You'll freak out the nurses." He stood up to help the boy, and as he approached the bed, admitted, "You're right about Mandy, though, I suppose."

Connor grinned. "Oopsies!" He laughed and clumsily patted Greg's shoulder. "Hey, guess what?"

Greg eyed him. "What?" Connor looked like a big mess. The boy beckoned Greg closer, and Greg leaned down next to Connor's face. "Okay, okay, what?"

Connor closed his eyes and said, "I like boys, Greggyyyyy." He giggled wildly.

Greg rolled his eyes and sighed. "That's like the fifteenth time you've told me that today, dude. I thought you'd calm down about it after you told your parents earlier."

Connor said, "B-but, I didn't get to tell the nurses and your dad, so I had to tell 'emmmm." He made a blubbering sound with his lips, obviously enjoying himself.

Greg laughed, and said, "Fair enough." He stood back up and messed with the detached EKG leads. He scratched his head and looked at the door just in time to see a female nurse enter the room. It was Nurse Griffin; she had babysat Greg a few times when he was younger. She and her husband are friends with Greg's parents.

In a friendly tone, the nurse said, "You set off an alarm, boys! What happened; is our patient feeling wiggly?"

Connor gleefully responded, "Wiggly and gay! Woo!"

The nurse chuckled, and Greg said, "He was turning on his side and messed up the wires. The medicine Dr. Beecham gave him a while ago is making him act all loopy."

Greg watched as the nurse nodded as she donned a pair of gloves next to the room's sink. "Yeah, oxycodone tends to do that. Sometimes it makes patients feel sleepy, though, so at least-" She froze in place.

The hospital suddenly seemed eerily quiet. Greg looked around. "Uh, Nurse Griffin?"

She stood there, still in the middle of putting on her second glove.

Connor sat up, ripping away several more of his EKG leads. He said, "What's happening?"

Greg looked around. "I don't know."

The sound of glass shattering echoed in the distance. Greg walked toward Connor; something felt wrong about all this. More glass shattered; closer now. Connor said, "Oh shit." The hairs on Greg's arms stood on end; the room suddenly felt charged with electricity.

The lights outside the door shattered and went out explosively. Greg turned and stood ready to defend his friend if needed. "Connor, stay behind me if anything happens, okay?"

Before Connor could reply, the heart monitor and the room's television both exploded in a furious blast of electrical sparks, sending glass shards flying throughout the far side of the room. Greg gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as a figure stepped into the doorway.

Greg's eyes grew wide when he saw who it was. "Finn?!" There stood Greg's little brother, Finn, in his pajamas. A blue aura surrounded the boy, and his hair was standing up slightly, all on its own. Electric arcs flashed in the air around him at a steady pace.

The child snickered, and ominously strutted into the room. "Not quite." The ceiling light and the room's window spectacularly exploded as he stepped inside; glass flew around them. Electricity crackled in the air around them as the room went dark. A glowing street lamp outside the window illuminated the room, and Finn spoke. "Hello, boys."

Finn's mouth moved, but it wasn't really his voice. It was some strange, corrupt version of the boy's voice. In his thoroughly-medicated state, Connor seemed unfazed by it, though. "Hi, Finny."

Greg examined the child; something was flat-out _wrong._ That wasn't Finn's voice. Greg noticed then that his irises were shining bright gold. "Wh-what? How? You're not Finn! What are you?"

A perversely authoritative voice replied, "Finn isn't here at the moment, gentlemen." He took another step toward them, and said, "You may remember me by the name _Thunderbird_."

Greg was surprised. "The kid that unlinked us all those years back?" Greg blinked incredulously. "What are you doing inside of my little brother?!"

Thunderbird chuckled and walked Finn's body closer. "Before you get too upset, you should know that little Finn here helped me save your miserable lives a few minutes ago. He asked me a favor, so here we are now." Lightning flashed, and thunder boomed outside. "You two should keep a closer watch on Amaya and Romeo. Their little project with their so-called _Anomaly_ could prove dangerous to you. It almost killed Waysa."

Connor tapped his chin and said, "What favor?" He seemed to wake up slightly, and his eyes widened. "Wait, did you say Waysa? What happened?"

Finn's face smiled slyly. Thunderbird's voice replied, "Finn said you're sick and said I could borrow his body to fix you. So, I'm going to patch you up." Connor blinked, and Finn had disappeared and reappeared standing on the bed next to Connor. "You see, boys, Finn is special. And, as for Waysa, well, you'll have to ask him what happened."

Greg spun around nervously; he didn't like this. Electricity crackled in his ears, and the wire leads crackled ominously next to Connor. "Did you freeze the nurse?"

"I froze everyone in the building except you two, Greg." Thunderbird's voice coming from Finn's mouth made Greg's skin crawl.

Connor sat back. After a moment, he whispered, "That's so cool."

Finn crouched on his knees next to Connor. "Yeah, it is."

Finn reached his hand out and touched Connor's cheek gently, much as they normally would in their little ritual they usually perform upon salutations. "You see, Finn is a sort of healer. Ever wondered why he touches you like this?" Connor gently nodded as Greg watched apprehensively. " _This_ is how he heals people. It's a fairly special thing that he's been unknowingly practicing it on you for years if you ask me." Thunderbird's voice made it sound almost mocking.

Greg nervously said, "So... Connor is healed now?"

Finn looked over at him annoyedly. "No, lizard brain… I have to say the spell, first. Before I do that, know that he won't remember this. I'm going to repair the collateral damage that my powers have wrought on the hospital, and then you're both going to wake up at home in your beds and everyone involved except you two, Amaya, and Romeo will think Connor got sent home from the hospital, miraculously flu-free after less than two days." Pause, and he gauged their expressions for a moment. "I don't care if you teach him this healing power again, as he can harness it without the need for transforming. However, he cannot transform as you do for another two years. Do you understand?"

Greg eyed Thunderbird, having difficulty separating his feelings for Finn from those he has for Thunderbird. "I understand, but, let me get this straight… You're telling me that _my little brother_ , little Finny, is a PJ Mask?" Thunderbird nodded Finn's head, and Greg continued, "What's his animal?"

"I told you, Greg; Finn is special. He doesn't have a specific animal. Currently, his spirit animal, Basai, takes the form of an elephant, but that is subject to change. Ask Waysa and Koozye about it." He looked at Connor. " _You._ I do not like taking human form in this manner… So, be sure to tell the boy 'thank you' tomorrow. If not for him, I would have left you here to recover naturally. He _will_ remember that he helped, at least."

Connor nodded weakly. "…Okay."

Thunder boomed outside, and Thunderbird's voice added, "Congratulations on coming out, by the way. It's about time Waysa drew it out of you."

Connor felt electricity flowing and tingling his body from Thunderbird's aura emanating out of Finn's hand. He stuttered out, "Th-thanks, man."

With that, Finn replaced his hand on Connor's cheek and stared into the boy's eyes with a scary smile. As Connor contemplated the luminous golden glow of Finn's irises, Thunderbird completed the strange meeting by saying, " _Vimanil!"_ Connor's complexion returned to its normal, healthy tan and he could breathe easier. "There, that's the healing spell, if you want to teach it to him. He can only use it sparingly, keep that in mind… Now, to send you to tomorrow with _my_ power…" Greg and Connor exchanged nervous looks with each other. " _Avavago!"_

Thunder rumbled, and everything went black for Connor and Greg.

* * *

The next day, Connor knocked on the door to Greg's house. It was a comfortable temperature outside, and Connor stretched as he waited for Greg to answer the door. When Greg answered the door, the blonde boy stood there in a pair of boxer briefs and a t-shirt. His hair was messed up like he had slept hard last night. Greg said, "Well… How are you feeling? Can you breathe alright?"

Connor scratched his head. "I mean, I'm breathing better than before I got sick, honestly. I feel great." Greg gestured for him to come inside, and he did. Once Greg shut the door, Connor said, "Where's Finn?"

Greg pointed up the stairs. "In his room. He was building with his blocks a minute ago. Thunderbird wasn't kidding; nobody knows how or why you two got better so quick. Anytime I asked dad about it this morning, he just seemed to gloss over for a second or two and treated it like it was just a normal thing."

Connor laughed nervously. "My mom and dad did the same thing before they left for work… It was kinda weird, honestly." Connor took off his shoes, and said, "I'm glad he healed me though. I've got that audition for the play tomorrow."

Greg nodded. "Did your parents remember…?"

Connor finished the sentence: "Me coming out?" Greg nodded, and Connor smiled. "Yeah."

Greg smiled back and hugged Connor. "Here, I didn't get to give you a hug yesterday." Connor wrapped his arms around the shorter boy.

Connor whispered, "Thank you. You being there made that a lot easier for me." Connor broke the hug and said, "Also, you totally cuddled with me in that little hospital bed, so I think that counts as a hug."

Greg smiled. "You were sick, and I wanted to help you feel better."

Connor walked toward the stairway, and Greg followed him. Connor said, "Well, thanks." As they neared Finn's room, Connor stopped and turned around. "So, you gonna go see Mandy? Like we talked about?"

Greg and Connor had been texting back and forth over the last hour. "Yeah…" He looked at the ground, and the look in his eyes went from happy to downcast. "I might need cuddles next." He sighed and looked back up at Connor. "You're gonna stay here with Finn, though, right?"

Connor nodded. "Yep. You go get ready and go over there. We'll be here. If you need me, call me, and we'll come to rescue you, okay?."

Greg turned and walked into his own room. "Thanks."

Connor caught Greg's arm. "Hey. It's okay to be sad, alright? And it's okay to ask for help."

Greg looked up at Connor and half-way smiled. "Thanks. I think I can handle myself for the most part, though. At least until I get back here."

Connor let go of him, and said, "Okay. I'm gonna play with Finn, then. I owe him for the save yesterday." Greg nodded, and Connor walked into Finn's room down the hall.

Finn looked up and smiled. They maintained eye contact for a few seconds before either of them moved. Finn's irises had returned to their powder blue color, along with the little flecks of ice blue that dotted around. Finally, Finn spoke. "Connor!" He stood up from the small structure he was building and ran over.

"Finn!" Connor scooped him up and hugged him tightly.

Finn held the hug for several moments and finally released Connor. Connor continued holding him so that they remained on the same level. Finn said, "Do you feel better?"

Connor nodded. "I do, buddy. Thank you for helping me."

Finn smiled wide. "I got you sicky, so I wanna help you."

Connor nodded. "I know, kiddo. You didn't have to, but I'm glad you did. Thank you." Connor hugged him again. "You and your big brother both helped me out a lot yesterday. I owe you two, for sure."

"You welcome."

After several seconds, Connor said, "Alright." He sat Finn down, and said, "Can I play with you?"

"Yeah!" Finn hurriedly picked out an action figure for Connor and said, "We're buildin' a big base for the super hewoes!"

Connor grinned and sat down on the floor to help out. "Alright, just tell me what to do, boss."


	16. The Gekko Incident

Sorry for the wait on this one, all. I've been really busy this month. Heh.

As always, thanks for your support. Keep those reviews coming, you're awesome!

 **WARNING: strong language ahead. Reader discretion is advised.**

Finally, special thanks goes to my beta reader, ItIsShad0w. :)

* * *

 **Thirty minutes later** , Greg plodded down the road next to Mandy's house apprehensively. He stopped at the end of the driveway and stood there. To himself, he whispered, "C'mon Greg, you can do this… _You have to do this._ "

He took a deep breath and walked up the driveway. He went onto the porch and knocked on the door with as much confidence as he could muster. A few seconds later, Mandy answered the door. "Hey, cutie! Come on inside."

Greg did so, and as she closed the door behind him, he said, "Thanks… Uhhh… look." He sighed. "We need to talk."

Mandy raised an eyebrow. "Okay? Come sit down, then." Greg nodded and followed her to the living room, where the radio was playing _Video Killed the Radio Star_ by the Buggles. "If you stay around long enough, my cousin Kevin is gonna come over later. His boyfriend might be coming over, too."

Greg raised an eyebrow, himself; Kevin and Ryan? It'd be neat to see them again. He sighed and set his mind back on task. "C-cool. Uh, look." Greg took out his phone and opened a photo: a selfie he took with Catboy as Gekko. He handed Mandy the phone. "Recognize them?"

Mandy took the phone, and her fierce, prideful exterior slipped. "I… Yeah." She looked up at Greg. "Where did you find that picture?"

Greg looked at her solemnly. "I am Gekko." Greg's chest hurt suddenly. He'd done it, finally. He couldn't take it back, now.

Mandy said, "No fucking way." Even though she denied it, it made sense. Gekko and Greg have the same voice, the same eyes, and they're the same height, come to think of it. "I… I guess you are."

Greg said, "Yeah. And you're Rip, right? A werewolf?"

Mandy was utterly shocked. She said, "I, uh… Yeah, I am."

Greg looked away from her. "We have hurt each other a lot over the years."

They sat there quietly as Greg waited while Mandy came to terms with what had just been revealed. On the radio, the music continued playing: " _Pictures came and broke your heart_."

* * *

 **At the same moment, at Greg's house,** Amaya had arrived a few minutes ago. She and Connor stood outside Finn's bedroom arguing. Amaya said, "HE WHAT? You just _let_ him go over there? Did he even know what he wanted to say?!" In Finn's room, the preschooler glanced at the older kids uneasily. He was old enough to know when something was wrong.

Connor glared at her, and then looked at Finn. "Sorry, Finn. Keep playing, kiddo." He closed the door to Finn's room so the little one wouldn't have to hear all this. "I don't know, Amaya! You're trying to baby him again, I swear! He's a big kid, capable of thinking independently." Connor pointed toward the closed door. "That little boy in there is the one that you should be babying, not Greg!"

Amaya grabbed the side of her head. "I am not trying to baby anyone, Connor! I just would have liked it if the two of you had asked my opinion! This is gonna go badly."

Connor lowered his voice and quietly growled out, "Amaya, I was in a fucking coma yesterday, alright? Not to mention I came out of the closet, which was the most terrifying thing I have EVER done… I'm not exactly expected to be thinking straight." Connor halfway smiled at the unintentional pun there at the end.

Amaya sighed and rubbed her temples. "I mean, fair point…" She looked back up at Connor. "I'm sorry I yelled, it's just… Well, Greg wasn't the only one worried about you, okay?" She looked away from Connor. "I had trouble processing that you were so sick, and then all the weirdness with Night Eagle, Koozye, and Waysa… and Basai and that Thunderbird kid…"

When he saw the confused look on her eyes, Connor sighed, too. "Hey, if it helps… When Waysa told me that I almost died, it freaked me out big time. Then, he made me talk through the fact that I'm gay and made me promise to tell someone I was gay when I woke up, which was really scary." He put a hand on her shoulder. "You're not the only confused one, today."

Amaya looked back up at him. "Congrats on coming out, by the way. It was about time." She hugged him quickly.

Connor smiled lightly as she embraced him. "Thanks." When they let go of each other, Connor quietly said, "Now, about Greg… He was determined to do something about it today, alright? He said he'd talked to you about it at some point when he found out about her. I don't know, the way he was acting, I think he had something planned."

Amaya sighed. "He really likes her, you know? Something bad is going to happen, and it's going to tear him apart, Connor."

Connor had to think for a few seconds. "Maybe so, but don't you think it's better that he gets hurt now? You know, instead of later, when he really _loves_ her? Besides, we'll be here to help put him back together; he'll come out of this better than before."

Amaya sighed. "I guess you're right, but I'm not sure whether or not he loves her. I suppose all we can do either way is wait until he's back."

Connor nodded. "Yeah. Come on, Finn and I were building an HQ for a bunch of superheroes. You can join us while we wait."

* * *

 **Back at Mandy's house,** Greg was standing up, now. "You can see why I don't think we're meant to be, right?"

Mandy looked back up at him; she had been thinking quietly for a few minutes. "You have to understand… Kevin is the only one of us that really remembers his daytime life when we go Wolfy, and even he doesn't remember much; in the beginning, he really only remembered his name, and he kept his friendly nature. When I go Wolfy, I don't remember who I am, and my personality changes into something even more unruly than I am normally. Josh turns into a total jerk, and we kinda feed off each other's' energy. Kevin just tags along."

Greg rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, no kidding. I've had to stop you three from doing crazy stuff on most full moons for the last seven years… And Josh?"

Mandy half-chuckled. "Josh is my other cousin; he is Howler at night." Pause. "Look, on full moons, this weird energy runs through us when we're transformed. The three of us, mainly Josh and I, become very mischievous. I don't remember anything about my daytime life on nights when we go Wolfy."

Greg wanted to ask why Kevin was the special one who remembered things, but he decided it wasn't important. "Do you remember all the mean things you've done to us?"

Mandy shrugged. "What you call mean, Rip would probably call fun." She chuckled. "It's funny that Josh and I remember most things we do when we're Wolfy. Rip has a lot of fun, honestly."

Greg sighed. "See, even if you aren't Rip during the day, you see my problem, right? I _cannot_ date someone who transforms into a werewolf that torments me for fun at night." Greg paced through the living room. "I'm not a psychologist, but that seems like a bad idea in the long run. I don't know what to do, though, I just can't figure it out!" He pulled at his hair and said, "I still want to date you, but at the same time, I know I shouldn't do it, Mandy. What do we do? Is there a cure for you?"

Mandy sighed; the distressed look in Greg's eyes was unsettling. "I mean, I won't lie, we haven't been able to find a cure… And y'know, I do feel bad about some of the stuff Rip, Howler, and Kevin do at night. Especially now that I know who we're tormenting." She stood up and sighed. "Come here."

Greg walked over to her. "Why?"

Mandy sighed. "Because you're right. We can't do this, it's wrong. And if we're done, I don't want you to still be here when Kevin and Ryan get here. It'll raise a lot of questions."

Greg laughed. "You have always been the decisive one of us, over the past couple of months." They silently stared into each other's' eyes.

Mandy smiled, and said, "It has been fun, Greg."

Greg hugged her close. "I'll miss you."

Mandy hugged him back. "Rip wouldn't be sorry, but I am." After a few seconds, she pushed apart from him just far enough to give him a kiss. Their tongues mingled for a few more seconds, and Mandy pushed him away. "I'll miss you, too, Greg. Now, go. There's nothing more to say."

Greg was a bit hazy from the kiss; she might be a Wolfy, but she was still one of the most attractive girls Greg had ever met. With his face slightly red, Greg said, "Goodbye, Mandy."

And he left the house without another word. When he shut the front door, he felt completely empty inside, aside from one thing: a purpose. He knew what to do next. He started the walk towards his house.

* * *

 **Shortly later,** in a forest bathed in shining light, Greg sat cross-legged in front of Koozye, the lizard spirit. She said, "That went about how I expected it."

Greg broke eye contact with the lizard; her soulful glaze contained too much emotion for him to handle. He whispered, "Yeah." He took a breath. "I did my part of the promise, now it's your turn."

Koozye blinked. "Indeed. Young love is fun, but it can often lead to pain. You're sure you want her not to feel that pain? I can edit her memory of the event, but I cannot edit yours."

Greg nodded. "It's not her fault that I'm a superhero and she's a werewolf, Koozye. That's not fair to her. Just edit her memory of the breakup. Remove all the Gekko and Wolfy bits, and leave her with the understanding that we just weren't meant to be. My final gift to her."

Koozye stepped onto Greg's leg. "You're a kind boy, Greg." Koozye's eyes glowed green, and she said, "It has been done."

Greg sighed. "I don't find that very comforting."

Koozye blinked. "Maybe not now, but someday." Pause. "Time will heal the hole forming in your chest, little one. The pangs of the end of your first romance are some of the most important milestones in growing up. You learned a lot from this experience, right?"

Greg rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I learned my girlfriend was a fucking werewolf and life isn't fair." He hugged his knees to his chest.

Koozye let silence settle in the room for a few moments. "Some lessons have to be learned the hard way, little one. If I had known, I would have told you, but things are sometimes clouded for us, too." Pause. "Now, go inside and see your friends. They're waiting to help you."

Greg nodded. "Okay." The forest dreamscape faded into darkness. He blinked and was back to sitting on the front porch of his house when he awoke. As he stood up, the aching, empty feeling of a hole in his chest reasserted itself. Now he knew why they called this feeling heartbroken; that's precisely what it felt like. He opened the door and kicked off his shoes without bothering to pick them up.

He closed the door and trudged upstairs quietly. As Greg opened the door to his room, he heard the sounds of Finn playing and giggling with Connor and… Probably Amaya? Whatever, he shut the door behind him, then took off his socks and pants. If he was going to wallow in anguish, he might as well do it in comfort. He didn't bother to take off his t-shirt or put on his pajama bottoms.

He flopped on his bed without covering up, content to lay there and embrace the emptiness for a while; his parents had always told him it was okay to feel sad sometimes, and this probably qualified as a good time. Tears finally leaked out of his eyes, but Greg still sighed when he heard the door into his room creak open. Connor's voice said, "Greg? Are you okay?"

Greg grunted in reply.

"Can I come in?"

Greg weakly replied, "Okay."

Connor stepped inside and shut the door. He walked over to the bed and sat down next to his friend, who looked a bit cute in the briefs and t-shirt he still had on. Connor opened a drawer and grabbed Greg's pajamas. He sat them on the nightstand and then sat down against the set of pillows adjacent to the slightly smaller boy. "Well? Did you…?"

Greg rolled over to face Connor. He nodded and sobbed as the tears burst forth. He pointed to his chest and choked out, "It hurts." He laid his head over on Connor's chest and cried into the boy's shirt.

Connor sighed and patted Greg's back gently. "Let it out, buddy." He wrapped an arm around his friend. "I'm here for you." Connor noticed Finn and Amaya standing at the door. Despite Amaya's worried look, Connor discretely motioned for them to leave. Amaya quickly scooped up Finn, and they disappeared from Connor's view.

Connor continued rubbing Greg's back as the boy cried. "It's gonna be okay, Greg. I promise…The next few days might be rough, but we'll get through it together."

After a few minutes of silence from Connor, Greg's cries decreased in intensity enough that Connor felt comfortable saying, "By the way, you've been in a relationship before, and now that I'm out of the closet, you gotta give me some dating advice."

Greg laughed lightly but remained clinging to the older boy's chest. "O-okay." He sniffled, and instructed, "Step 1: Don't date a werewolf girl."

Connor nodded and said, "That's good advice, I'm sure, but no worries on that one. I'm gay."

Greg sniffled hard, and sat up, wiping his eyes as he did. "Connor?"

"Yeah?"

Greg rolled his eyes, and said, "Shut up." He smiled a little, though.

Connor grinned wide. "Okay. Want more cuddles?"

Greg laid his head back down on the older boy's chest. "Yeah." His chest ached less now, but it still hurt. "You gotta stop with the gay jokes before you tell people at school, dude. They won't take you seriously, you know that, right?"

Connor scratched his head. "I hadn't thought of that... Good point. I should take myself more seriously." He was quiet for a moment as he absorbed that thought. After several seconds, he finally said, "Just so you know, Finn and Amaya saw you crying a little while ago. You might wanna put your pajamas on and then let them know you're gonna make it, here in a minute. Finn looked worried."

Greg nodded against Connor's sternum. "Okay. I-uh, I just need another few minutes before I can handle putting on pants." He laughed.

Connor nodded, "That's alright, take as long as you need. I'm here for ya."


	17. Auditions

As always, thanks for your support. Please, keep those reviews coming, you're awesome!

 **WARNING: strong language ahead. Reader discretion is advised.**

Finally, special thanks go to Dappleishh and Luka for editing a portion of this story. They were standing in for my normal beta, itisShad0w. He was out of town. :)

* * *

 **Late the next morning,** Romeo grumbled annoyedly as he walked alongside Amaya. "Why do I have to go?"

Amaya said, "Because, you're Greg's friend, too, and he's not doing well." Pause. "Besides, the fusion reactor doesn't need you to monitor it so closely. It's still building up the superconducting magnets' charges. We _both_ know that Robot and Jarvis can handle it."

Romeo grumbled, "Yeah, I suppose…" They had been waiting on the fusion generator aboard the _Jenolan_ to finish the first part of its powerup sequence for days, now. Romeo had been steadily pacing the deck of the spaceship, obsessively monitoring the process, and steadily outfitting the office he was going to have on the bottom deck. He sighed as they walked up the steps on Greg's porch.

Amaya knocked on the door. "Now, look, you cheer up. I can't have you and Greg both feeling sad."

Romeo rolled his eyes. "I'm not sad, I'm annoyed. Sick of waiting on this. The alternate universe me is probably already done."

Amaya glared and said, "His last message said he was still a month or more out. Besides, I could use your help with the sen-" She stopped talking just as Finn opened the door.

The preschooler's iridescent blue eyes studied both of the teenagers at the door. "Hi, Amaya."

Amaya smiled. "Hi, Finn." She pointed at Romeo. "Remember my friend Romeo?"

Finn eyed the tall boy with black hair; he'd met him a few times. "Did you change your hair?"

Romeo raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, it used to be spikey." He was wearing his hair in a bouffant recently.

Finn said, "Cool. Wanna come inside?"

Amaya said, "Yep." They followed Finn inside, and Amaya said, "Where's your big brother and your parents, Finny?"

Finn pointed upstairs. "Greggy's upstairs. He doesn't wanna play today." A small pout adorned the boy's face. "Mom went to the store. Daddy is sleepin'. Nobody wants to play with me."

Romeo said, "Well, y'know. These things happen."

Amaya shot a quick glance at Romeo. She turned back to Finn and said, "We were going to visit Greg, but I bet Romeo will play with you." She turned and gave Romeo a deadly glare as she asked, "Right, Romeo?" She took her coat off and put it on the hook next to the door.

Romeo sighed. "Sure, I guess." He took his coat off and hung it up, too.

Amaya said, "Cool. I'm gonna go talk to Greg."

As she trotted up the stairs, Romeo looked down at Finn. He genuinely has no idea what to do with a four-year-old. "So… What do you wanna play?"

Finn tapped his chin and then said, "Wanna pway a video game?"

Romeo perked up. "Uh, sure."

* * *

 **At the local children's theater,** Connor was seated in one of the chairs in the small auditorium, along with dozens of other teens and preteens auditioning for the upcoming play, _Spartacus_. He tapped his fingers together nervously; he had auditioned about an hour ago for the part of Antoninus. Connor spotted his friend Rider coming back from his audition. He waved to the boy, who walked over to him; Connor admired the boy as he approached. When he got there, Connor said, "Well? How'd it go?"

Rider scratched his hair and smiled confidently. "I think they liked me." The boys were both trying out for leading roles in the play. Rider sat down next to Connor. "Practicing one last time with you this morning was really helpful."

Connor grinned. "Dude, can you imagine if we both get the parts? Spartacus and Antoninus are supposed to be best friends."

Rider laughed and said, "I think we could pull that off. We aren't _best_ friends, but we could probably make it work."

Connor stuck out his tongue. "I guess all we can do now is wait for them to announce who they want for the next round."

Rider nodded. "Yep." He pulled out his phone. "Which means, I can play a game or something."

* * *

 **About an hour later,** Greg grunted as he stood up from his bed. "I just wanna lay here Amaya. Can't you just leave me be?" He was still in a pair of boxer briefs and a t-shirt.

Amaya shrugged. "I mean, I could, but who knows what Romeo and Finn are up to downstairs." She tapped her chin. "I bet you'd like to go on a walk anyways. Come and get some sun."

Greg sighs. "Fine, I'll go on a stupid walk. Geez, Finn is the only one who will actually leave me alone if I ask." He stood up and looked around for a pair of pants. "Does me in my underwear not bother you?"

Amaya shrugged. "I've seen you and Connor in your underwear before, Greg. You're just people, what's the big deal anyway?" She paused as he put on a pair of pants, and casually added, "Honestly, you two act like I'm easily embarrassed. You could be naked as a jaybird, and I really wouldn't care."

Greg sat down and pulled on his socks. "Yeah, well, I'll remember to call you next time I take a shower, you can watch."

Amaya sighed. "You don't have to be a smarty pants, geez." She grumbled, "If you didn't want me in here when you were changing, all you had to do was ask me to leave."

Greg looked up at her and half-pouted from his seated position. "I'm sorry, I really didn't mind you staying... I didn't mean to be snarky. I'm just lashing out, I guess…"

Amaya held her hand out. "It's okay. Come on. Let's go get Finn and Romeo, we'll go on a walk."

Greg nodded and stood up with her. He grabbed his phone, and they went downstairs just as Greg's dad, Alan, emerged from his room in a robe and a pair of pajama pants. "Oh, hi there." He quickly tied up his robe. "I didn't know you were here, Amaya."

Amaya grinned. "Hi, Mister Alan. Romeo and I were visiting to cheer up Greg."

Alan smiled. "I see." He looked at Greg. "Well, how are you, Greg? Your mom told me what happened. I'm sorry I had to work, I'd liked to have helped out, too." He hugged the boy.

Greg hugged back. "I'm okay, I guess."

Alan ruffled his hair. "No, you're not. And that's okay. I know you liked Mandy a lot." He let the boy go, and said, "You going somewhere?"

Greg nodded. "Yeah, Amaya wants us to go on a walk."

Amaya said, "I was gonna invite Finn, too. Was gonna take them to my house for lunch afterward."

Alan nodded. "Okay. Tell you what… Will you keep Finn over there for a little while after lunch? I want to have a talk with Greg."

Greg rolled his eyes, but Amaya nodded. "Sure!"

Alan said, "Alright, you kids be careful." He rubbed his eyes. "I'm going to go have a cup of coffee. Call if you need anything."

Amaya said, "Okay. C'mon Greg." They went into the living room, where they found Romeo and Finn playing a two-player video game. The boys were both shouting excitedly at the fighting game they were playing on the TV.

Romeo looked up when he and Finn finished the match of a fighting game. "Dude, Finn is really good at this game."

Finn was sporting a wide grin from nearby on the couch. "Yeah, Romeo really sucks!"

They all laughed, and even Greg giggled; the first trace of a smile Amaya had seen on him today. Amaya said, "Come on boys, we're gonna go on a walk. Greg needs some fresh air."

* * *

 **Back at the theater club,** Connor and Rider were holding their breath waiting for the adults in charge to announce which kids were staying for parts. The announcer rattled off, "For the part of Spartacus, we would like the following people to stay for the final round: Anthony Parker, Dewayne Whited, and Rider Evans."

Rider jumped for joy as the announcer continued going, announcing the candidates for the character Varina's part, and Connor grinned like an idiot as he stood up. They high fived. After a few seconds, Connor held still as the Announcer continued, "For the role of Antoninus, the following persons are moving on to the final round…" Connor's heart started beating tensely as the announcer read from a piece of paper. "…Peter Olivier, Connor McKenzie, and Tobias Berenson."

Connor and Rider locked eyes and Connor jumped for joy this time as the announcer continued to name kids going on to audition for the rest of the main cast. He hugged Rider and they both calmed down after a several seconds. They sat back down and Connor whispered, "Dude! We could actually do it! We could both be leads in this one!"

Rider nodded excitedly with Connor, and they were quiet as the announcer finished the last main cast character's announcement. "For all of you who made the final round, congratulations! Report back to the rooms you auditioned in earlier today to continue the process. For those of you who didn't make the second round for the main cast, thanks for taking the time to audition! We are glad you're helping to support the arts here at Maple Park Theater Club! We still want you to be a part of the play, so come to the stage and grab an information packet. You all are still going to be an important part of the play: the Roman legion and the Rebel army! Thanks again!"

The room became loud suddenly as over fifty teens and preteens filed their way toward the stage, and about two more people made their way out of the auditorium. Connor and Rider walked together, and Connor excitedly said, "Dude!"

Rider giggled. "We might make it, dude!"

* * *

 **An hour later, at Amaya's house,** the teens and Finn had finished their walk, and Amaya had finished serving lunch. Romeo had slipped into the bathroom just as Greg left to go home and talk to his dad. He locked the door and pulled out his phone. He opened an app and sat it on the counter next to the sink. The phone announced, "Link established."

A smiling cartoon-version of himself appeared onscreen with a microphone, and Romeo said, "Jarvis, you there?"

A British-accented voice replied, "Yes, Master."

Romeo quietly asked, "Can you give me an update on the fusion core? Be quiet, I'm supposed to be using the bathroom, not talking to you."

Jarvis quietly replied, "One of the superconducting magnets was improperly sealed; a liquid helium leak led to a quench. The magnet melted and damaged the two magnets beside it before Robot and I were able to correct the problem."

Romeo cursed. "No way. I built those magnets! What happened?" He quickly flushed the toilet to avoid suspicion and sighed. "Nevermind, it doesn't matter. What is the new completion estimate?"

Jarvis replied, "We do not have the metals to rebuild the three magnets for the tokamak containment system. We would have to extract more of the Molybdenum and Tungsten mixture."

Romeo sighed. "What's the price of the metals required to completely rebuild the magnets?"

Jarvis replied, "Standby." Romeo started washing his hands, and the AI replied, "Roughly five thousand dollars."

Romeo turned on the sink. "Alright, pretending to wash my hands now… I'll think of something, Jarvis. For now, I've gotta go." He closed the app on his phone and turned the water off before leaving the room. He racked his brain, thinking where he was going to get that kind of money from.

* * *

 **Back at the children's theater,** Connor and Rider are sitting in the auditorium again. The auditions had finished not too long ago, but it seemed the adults had already chosen which kids they wanted for the main parts. A woman came onstage; Connor recognized her as the director of the program, Maggie Smith.

Rider and Connor eyed each other as she sat down on the edge of the stage. She beckoned the two dozen teens in the audience toward the stage. "Alright kids, come close. We know who we want for our main characters." The children all moved into the front two rows, and Connor and Rider sat on an outside seat. Maggie smiled and glanced at the piece of paper in her hand. "Alright, now, thanks again for auditioning, kids. I've heard a lot of good things from the casting directors in the separate rooms. You should all be proud of yourselves. However, they can only pick one person for each character. If you don't get the character you want, don't worry; the rest of you are going to get one of the secondary characters."

Everyone held their breath as she started naming off the main characters in reverse order of importance, cheering whenever one of their names was called. Eventually, she reached the final three parts. "Alright, the part of Antoninus will be played by… Connor Mackenzie."

Connor's jaw dropped, and he looked at Rider excitedly, laughing excitedly. Maggie continued, "Varina, will be Lily Smith." Connor looked over at Lily, a friend of Amaya, and grinned at her.

Maggie looked around at them and said, "and finally, the star of the show, Spartacus himself will be none other than Rider Evans! Congratulations to you, main cast members. For the rest of you, go see your casting directors at the back of the room for your assignments. The rest of you hang out here, I've got scripts and rehearsal schedules for you. I'll be right back." Maggie stood up, and the kids that didn't get a part stood up, too. Connor hit Rider's arm as the boy was frozen in surprise. He looked at Connor and couldn't make a noise.

Several of the kids that didn't get a lead role filed by and congratulated Connor and Rider. Once they were done, Connor stood up and said, "Rider! We did it!" He grabbed Rider's hand and pulled him out of the chair. "We did it!"

Rider jumped up and down joyously with Connor. "We did it!" He stopped jumping and grabbed Connor's head and excitedly kissed him on the cheek. "Connor, _we're the stars!"_

Speaking of stars, that's what Connor saw after that kiss on the cheek. "Y-yeah we are!" A rush of emotions flooded Connor's mind, but overall he was happy with the outcome. He grabbed the taller boy and hugged him tightly. "This is awesome!"

Rider and Connor let go of each other, and Rider said, "Dude, I gotta call my mom!"

Connor laughed, and said, "Me too!" He felt a bit dizzy from the kiss, so he sat down as he pulled out his phone. Several of the other main cast members were similarly calling parents and celebrating. As the phone rang, Connor admired Rider's looks and excitement. Maybe Rider would be the next person he came out to.

* * *

 **Back at Greg's house,** Romeo was in Greg's room. "Look. I know you're feeling down, but I have a proposition for you."

Greg was sitting on the bed, and said, "Yknow, after that talk with my Dad, I'm a bit better… But what do you have for me?"

Romeo grinned. "Look, all I need to know is if you're in. I'm going on… an _adventure_ tonight. Wanna come?"

Greg eyed the boy. "Do you want Gekko to go? Or Greg?"

Romeo grinned. "I need Greg, not Gekko."

Greg tapped his chin. "I suppose I'll check it out. What are we doing?"

Romeo smiled. "Don't worry about it. I'm gonna use the teleporter to come back for you tonight at 11:00. Be ready, okay?"

Greg nodded. "Alright." He was intrigued by this; what did Romeo have planned?

Romeo went to walk out. "Oh, Amaya wanted you to come downstairs. Finn is getting sleepy, and we're going to leave you be for the day. Amaya and I are going."

Greg sighed and quietly followed the boy downstairs and into the living room. Finn was sitting on the couch, yawning. It was the early afternoon, at this point; about naptime for the preschooler. Amaya was seated nearby, and Greg said, "Thanks for taking care of him while Dad and I talked, Amaya."

Amaya looked up and said, "Oh, no problem. We had fun. Did Romeo tell you we're leaving for now?" She stood up when Greg nodded. She patted Finn's shoulder and said, "Nice. Finn, tell Greg what you told me a little while ago." Amaya looked at Greg and added, "He said this all on his own, I might add."

Finn wiped his eyes tiredly and tapped the power button on the TV remote. He looked at Greg and said, "I tired… Waited for Greggy, 'cause he feels sad, and he likes to sleep wif me when him's sad."

That hole in Greg's heart seemed to shrink. A lot. His voice wavered as he replied, "Aw, Finny." His eyes watered up, and he walked over to the couch and picked the preschooler up. "You're a good brother, Finn." With wet eyes, Greg smiled at Amaya. "Thank you for today. It helped out, even if I didn't want it to at first."

Amaya smiled. "We're all here for you, Greg." She hugged him and patted Finn's shoulder. "Bye boys." She let go and walked toward Romeo.

Greg laughed and said, "Thanks to you, too, Romeo."

Romeo smiled and said, "Hey, I just played video games and walked around the neighborhood. Glad it helped out." He winked and said, "Bye guys."

Greg followed them to the door and waved when they left. Once he closed the door, Greg walked upstairs with Finn. "Dad! Finn and I are gonna take a nap."

From Alan's study, Greg heard him shout, "Gotcha!"

By the time they got to Greg's room, Finn was mostly asleep. Greg gently laid the little one on the bed and quickly changed from his pants into a pair of shorts. He took his shirt off and then crawled into the bed with Finn. Finn was still aware enough to crawl onto Greg and curl up on his chest once the older boy was comfortable. Finn was asleep by the time Greg finished covering them up, and Greg drifted off shortly later.


	18. The Endless Afternoon

I'm sorry for taking so long to update! This last month has been **brutally** busy and I've been super stressed! Things should be calming down for the rest of May, though, so expect to see some activity from me in the coming weeks.

As always, thanks for your support. Keep those reviews coming, you're awesome!

 **WARNING: strong language and discussion of human sexuality ahead. Reader discretion is advised.**

Finally, special thanks go to my beta reader, ItIsShad0w. :)

* * *

 **Later that afternoon,** Greg was awoken by being poked on the cheek. With his eyes still closed, Greg sighed, and said, "Finn?"

"Hi."

Greg opened his eyes to find the preschooler looking at him with his big blue eyes. The boy had evidently woken up some time ago, as he was no longer on Greg's chest. "What do you want, squirt?"

Finn rolled around on the bed goofily. "I got a question."

Greg rubbed his eyes and sat up. He looked at the clock. 4 PM. "Okay. Ask it, then."

With an innocent curiosity in his eyes, Finn said, "Why are you sad?" He tapped his chin. "Did someone break your toy?" Finn pouted. "I was sad when Archer broke my toy at school."

"Oh." Greg hadn't expected that question. "N-no, buddy, nobody broke one of my toys." Greg sighed. How to explain this to a four-year-old? "I… Uh… Do you remember Mandy?"

Finn nodded, and his blonde hair moved around with him exaggeratedly. "Yeah! She's your _GIRL_ friend." He made a big goofy grin.

Greg halfway smiled. "Well, not anymore. We broke up. That's why I'm sad." That hollow feeling from earlier returned.

Finn made a confused look. "Oh." He blinked and then asked, "Why does that make you sad?"

Greg put his hands over his face. "I don't know Finn… I loved her. But we can't be boyfriend and girlfriend anymore."

"Why?"

Greg put his hands down and grabbed Finn. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Finn made an angry face and said, "Did she hurwt you?"

Greg was genuinely amused. "I mean, not directly. Why, what if she did? You gonna beat her up?"

Finn nodded. "Yeah! Nobody hurts bubba."

Greg smiled and said, "Well, she didn't hurt me, Finny. Thanks for sticking up for me, but why don't you worry about you? Like, I know someone is gonna try to tickle you in a few seconds."

Finn dropped the angry face and looked around cautiously. "Who?"

Greg's smile turned into a wicked grin. "Me!"

Finn smiled slyly for half a second before he screamed and jumped out of bed. He ran out the door, and Greg took a deep breath and made himself move. Greg was running short on willpower, today, but finally pried himself out of bed. Finn needed someone to play with him, so Greg might as well do it.

* * *

 **A couple hours later,** Greg stood at the front door waving as Finn and Linda walked toward the car in the driveway. Greg shut the door and walked toward the kitchen, where his Dad was making his lunch for the night shift at the hospital. "Dad?"

Alan, who was dressed to leave for work, looked up from the peanut butter and jelly sandwich he was making. "Yo?"

Greg made a relieved look. "Thank you for telling them to go see the Christmas lights." He pulled up a chair at the table and added, "I love Finn more than I love my own life right now, but jeez he was getting on my nerve."

Alan sighed. "Finn isn't the problem. It's Mandy." He sat down one piece of bread. "She's just a girl, Greg. I know it hurts right now, but there are literally billions of girls out there. You'll find another one that makes you happy one day, I promise. Or maybe a boy, too, that'd be okay by me, whatever makes you happy. As long as I get some grandkids to spoil eventually." Pause, as he finished making his sandwich. "And I'm sorry about Finn. I should have played with him some more, but I'm tired, son." Alan continued putting the sandwich into a lunch box.

Greg sighed. "I know, I know. None of that makes me feel any better, though."

Alan looked sympathetic. "I'm not sure what to say, buddy. Mom, Finn, and I love you, just know that." He started to put the lid back on the peanut butter before stopping. "Wait. Have you eaten since this morning at Amaya's house?"

Greg shook his head. "No."

Alan snapped his fingers. "Well, a peanut butter and banana sandwich might cheer you up, hmm?"

Greg laid his head on the table solemnly. "Okay."

Alan grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter and opened the bread box. "Well, let's change the subject. How's puberty going?"

Greg's eyes shot open. "Wh-what?"

Alan replied, "I said, how is puberty going? Any recent changes that freaked you out?" He smiled wryly. "Did you and Mandy get up to anything?"

Greg's face was turning red rapidly. "Dad, oh my God."

Alan laughed, but quickly shot back, "No seriously, dude. Tell me about these things. I'm your Dad, I'm here to help." He finished slicing the banana and started applying peanut butter to the bread.

Greg sighed and sat up. "I… I mean, we did some stuff, sure…" Greg quietly added, "We got to uh… like… third base."

Alan raised his eyebrows. "No kidding? Good for you dude. I think you really did like her after all, huh?"

Greg looked away from Alan. "Yeah." Pause. "There is one thing, though."

Alan replied, "Whatcha got?"

Greg scratched his head. This is embarrassing. "The other day, I noticed that… One of my.. uh… you know… One of my balls hangs lower than the other." His entire face was tomato red. "I-is that… Normal?"

Alan finished making the sandwich and said, "Yeah, it is."

Greg said, "Wh-why?"

Alan smiled again. He walked over with the sandwich and handed it to Greg. "Go pour yourself a glass of milk for the sandwich, I'll be right back."

Greg looked on confusedly as Alan walked out of the room. Once he was gone, Greg finally said, "I… where is he…? Oh, whatever." He got up and poured the milk, and was near the table when Alan returned carrying a textbook.

Alan dropped the thick tome on the table, and it made a loud thump. "Read chapter 27."

Greg looked at Alan incredulously. "Seriously?"

Alan nodded. "Yes."

Greg looked at the cover of the textbook. " _Anatomy and Physiology?_ Isn't' that book for, like… Doctors?"

Alan quickly said, "I am a doctor, Gregory. The best answer I've got for why one teste hangs lower than the other is for you to read that book. You're clearly embarrassed to speak with me about that stuff. And that's okay, so here's where you can find an answer."

Greg blinked. "Okay."

Alan said, "Sit down, eat. It'll make you feel better."

Greg sat down and took a bite of the sandwich. "I can't believe you're giving me a textbook to look up stuff about my junk."

Alan pulled out his cell phone and typed for a few seconds. "Here, a couple of web articles your pediatrician recommended sending you the other month. Read those, they are also about your junk."

Greg sighed. "Dad. Really?"

Alan nodded. "Yeah. We've already had the talk, but that's some extra info you might not have heard from me already. Before I leave, here they are." Greg's smartphone dinged with a new message alert, and Alan looked up. With a completely calm, balanced tone, he said, "While we're on the subject, can you retract your foreskin yet?"

Greg choked on the part of the sandwich he was chewing. He coughed several times before saying, "Dad! Oh my God!" Alan laughed, and Greg quietly said, "Y-yes I have, though…"

Alan giggled as he replied, "What?! I'm just trying to help you learn how to operate the equipment properly."

Greg took a drink and said, "Please stop." Greg knew Alan was trying to embarrass him, now.

Alan stopped laughing after a few seconds. "But, seriously, I'm looking out for you buddy." He tapped his phone a few more times and sent another link. "There, read that one, too."

Greg's phone dinged as he sighed. "Okay."

Alan grabbed his lunchbox and said, "Well, that's enough fun for one night. I'm gonna head to the hospital. Seeya tomorrow kiddo, call me if you need anything." Alan hugged the boy from the side.

Greg hugged back, face still red, and said, "Love you Dad."

Alan patted him on the back, "Love you kiddo."

Once Alan was gone Greg sighed. "That was fucking weird." He eyed the textbook sitting nearby. He was kinda curious, now… "I think he said chapter 27…"

* * *

 **About 30 minutes later** , Connor knocked on the door to Greg's house. He turned and looked at Rider, remarking "Dude, this is so cool."

Rider laughed. "So cool that we've GOT to tell Greg?"

Connor nodded. "Duh! He's my best friend. We already stopped to visit Joseph for you."

Rider shrugged. "Can't argue with that." He looked at his smartphone. "I've gotta leave to head home in a few minutes, though. Mom said to be home by 8."

Connor nodded and saw the hallway light flick on. "Okay, shhh, follow my lead."

Greg, in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, opened the door and said, "Oh, hey guys! How did the auditions–"

Connor stepped back and shouted, "I AM SPARTACUS!"

Greg halfway smiled. And raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't Rider the one trying out for Spartacus?"

Rider waved. "I'm actually Spartacus."

"Cool!"

Connor smiled, and said, "It's a line from the play, Greggo."

Greg beckoned them inside, "Okay. Come inside. Did you get that part?"

Instead of going inside, Connor grabbed Greg's shoulders and jumped around. "Yes! Yes! I'm Antoninus! Rider and I are the stars of the play!"

Rider nodded. "Yup!"

Greg smiled and jumped around with Connor for a few seconds before saying, "Why are we jumping?"

Connor stopped. "I don't know." He smiled. "I'm excited, is all."

Rider laughed in the background, "That's the understatement of the century. I thought he was gonna pass out at the auditions when they called his name."

Connor sneered. "Me? You're the one who sat there dead to the world for like two minutes."

Rider scrunched his face. "I mean, fair point."

Greg chimed in, "Spartacus is supposed to be this brilliant leader-type, right?" Rider nodded. "Connor, it sounds like he was in-character, to me."

Rider smiled nonchalantly, and said, "Well, I mean, uh, I freaked the fuck out with Connor once he snapped me out of it, so maybe I was just stunned."

Connor stuck his tongue out at Greg. "Ha!"

Greg shrugged. "Look, are you two going to come inside or not? It's cold out there."

Rider said, "I'm not going to come inside. I gotta go home. Seeya guys."

Greg said, "Seeya Rider. Congrats!"

Rider said, "Thanks!"

Connor eyed Rider and said, "Seeya, Spartacus." He grabbed Rider's forearm, and Rider did the same to Connor, like a handshake.

Rider smiled. "Bye, Antoninus." He pulled the boy into a half hug with the other arm, and they quickly broke the hug and laughed. Rider turned and walked down the driveway.

Connor stepped inside the house and Greg finally shut the door. Greg spoke up quickly, "What was that?"

Connor raised an eyebrow. "What? The handshake?" Greg nodded.

Connor said, "Oh, we read ahead in our scripts a bit. That's how they shook hands back then, I suppose."

Greg laughed. "Neat. You gonna stay for a while? Mom and Finn aren't here, and Dad is working."

Connor shook his head. "Nah. I gotta go home and see my mom. Just had to come to tell you something." He looked really giddy.

Greg released a single chuckle. "Something besides the fact that you got the part?" Connor nodded excitedly, and Greg said, "Well? Out with it."

Connor blurted out, "Rider kissed me!"

Greg quickly replied, "On the mouth? Why?"

Connor shook his head. "No, no, on the cheek goofball. It was when we had just gotten the parts and were hopping around." Connor grinned like an idiot.

Greg smiled. "Aww, that's cute. Did your legs go weak, lover boy?" It was hard to tell if he was teasing or not.

Connor scoffed indignantly. "No!" Greg stared at him, so Connor said, "Fine, yes, they did… I had to sit down." He was blushing a little, but there was a happy smile on his face.

Greg said, "You should tell him you like him."

Connor scratched his head. "I'm gonna wait a few weeks. I'm not sure if I'm ready to be out to everyone yet."

Greg laughed, "Dude, everyone on the second floor of the hospital knows you're gay."

Connor snapped back, "That's different! People at school don't know yet!"

Greg eyed him. "You gonna tell people at school when we go back on Monday?"

Connor shook his head. "No! I'm not ready for that yet."

Greg nodded. "Well, whenever you feel like it, let Amaya and me know. We've got your back."

Connor smiled. "Thanks." Connor hugged Greg tight. "I'm gonna go home, now."

Greg hugged him back. "Thanks for coming to see me." Greg enjoyed the warm feeling of Connor's embrace. "I love you, dude."

Connor took a second to respond, "I love you too." He broke the hug and said, "You okay?"

Greg wiped his eyes and nodded. "Yeah, it's just been a rough day. I needed a hug."

Connor nodded. "Well. Okay. Call me if you need me, okay?"

Greg opened the door and said, "I will. Now, go see your folks and be excited."

Connor grinned. "Okay! Seeya tomorrow."

Greg waved. "Seeya!" He closed the door and quickly skittered back upstairs. The textbook had proven more interesting than he thought.

* * *

 **Later that night,** Greg looked at the clock on his nightstand apprehensively. 11:00 PM. Romeo should be here any minute. What was this all about?

There was a bright flash, and Romeo appeared. "Hey. You ready?" Romeo was outfitted in a way Greg hadn't seen him dress in a long time: goggles, a Howie-type labcoat, and the signature gloves.

Greg said, " I guess… Why are you dressed in your villain get up?"

Romeo walked over to him with a mischievous smile. "You'll see, Lizard Legs. Come on, we've got work to do."

Greg said, "Wait, what are you-" but he was too late; Romeo grabbed his arm and hit a button on his goggles, and they both disappeared in a flash.


	19. A Fine Mess

Don't forget to leave a review. Please? ;-; Your support is appreciated!

 **WARNING: strong language ahead. Reader discretion is advised.**

As always, special thanks go to my beta reader, ItIsShad0w. :)

* * *

Greg and Romeo materialized in Romeo's underground lab. Romeo released Greg and pointed to a stack of clothes laid out on the table. "Strip and put those on. We're gonna have some fun."

Greg looked at the clothes. A set of clothes just like Romeo's own attire; a Howie-type lab coat, gray pants, along with the boots and gloves. "Why are you in your villain outfit? Tell me now, or I'm gonna go Gekko."

Romeo said, "I'll tell you in a minute. I've gotta go down to my vault and grab a few things. Be changed when I'm back." Romeo turned to walk away.

Romeo stopped when Greg angrily said, "Romeo! Tell me now, or I'll wake up Connor and Amaya!"

Romeo sighed and turned around to find Greg holding his hand over his glowing green power bracelet. Romeo replied, "Fine. Drama queen. We're going to play Robin Hood. It'll get your mind off the breakup." Greg seemed confused, and Romeo continued walking away. "Before you ask, no; I'm not going evil again! And yes, those clothes are your size."

Greg held up a hand weakly, almost ready to protest. He sighed, though, and resigned himself to whatever strange adventure they're embarking on. He quickly pulled off his shoes and clothes and put on the pants and shirt Romeo had laid out for him. Romeo returned as Greg was putting on the lab coat. Greg raised an eyebrow. "Well? What are we doing?"

Romeo was carrying a metal toolbox. He sat it down on the table, and said, "We're going to rob a bank."

Greg was aghast. "WHAT?"

Romeo grinned. "Don't worry, they'll get their money's worth back. I just need the cash _right now_."

Greg sighed and resumed buttoning the lab coat. "Why are we doing this?"

Romeo replied, "Three of my superconducting magnets had a defect, and they melted earlier today. I need more superconducting magnets to replace them with." Once Greg finished buttoning the lab coat, Romeo walked around him, looking him over as he went. After a few seconds, remarked, "Damn, that outfit works on you, dude."

Greg, with his swimmer's build, looked sleek in the outfit. With a soft smile, he shyly responded, "Y-you think so?" His cheeks turned slightly red at the compliment.

Romeo nodded. "Yep… Here, put these on." Romeo took a pair of goggles like his own out of his lab coat pocket and handed them to Greg.

Greg took them and put them on. "So, what now?"

"Follow me. And grab the toolbox" Greg grabbed the suspiciously heavy toolbox, and they walked into the room where Robot was standing idly alongside the massive _Jenolan_. "Robot, we're going to get some new superconducting magnets."

Robot, who was holding a disfigured heap of metal, said, "Yes, Master. Shall I accompany you?"

Romeo shook his head. "Nah, we got this. You go work on installing the computer optical data network."

Robot dropped the heap of metal, which landed with a pronounced _thud,_ and replied, "Understood." His leg extended and he entered the _Jenolan_ via the airlock.

Romeo pulled the Transporter remote from one of his lab coat pockets. "Ready to have some fun?"

Greg smiled haphazardly and shrugged. "Uh… Sure?"

Romeo took aim with the Transporter and said, "Good."

* * *

Several seconds later, Romeo, Greg, and the heap of metal all appeared inside a brightly lit room, surrounded by shelves of money. Greg looked around and said, "Dude. This is… So much money." He was a bit more surprised than he should be.

Romeo nodded as he put away the remote. "You're damned right it is. Sit the toolbox down." Greg did so, and Romeo opened the toolbox. He withdrew a small metal ball with a raised button. "Cover your ears" Romeo clicked the button and threw it several feet away. "Smile for the cameras. It'll be the last thing they see." There was a small explosion, and the ball was gone. The lights in the room flickered ominously.

Greg uncovered his ears and said, "What'd you do?"

"It was an EMP. It fried the cameras." Romeo pulled a note from his breast pocket, "Now, here, tape this note to the metal. It explains to the bank that I needed a small loan and that this is their repayment. There's tape in the toolbox."

Greg eagerly did as Romeo insisted, but said, "Isn't this… Illegal?"

Romeo said, "Sure, but I like to think of myself as…. Robin Hood."

Greg grunted amusedly and finished taping the note to the metal heap. "Heh, alright. As long as they'll make their money back."

As he quickly swiped several random banded stacks of money, Romeo replied, "Oh, they will. I have instructions for them on how to sell the metal in that note. There's a decent amount of gold blended in there, too. It should be worth more once it is extracted." He stuck the stacks of money into his coat pocket. "There, that's all the money I needed."

Greg said, "What now?"

Romeo walked over to the toolbox and grabbed a gun-like weapon, and it made a humming sound as it charged. "We let them know we were here." He pointed the gun at the door into the vault and pulled the trigger, releasing a wave of heat as a laser pulse melted through the steel door.

Greg's jaw hung open, "Holy shit!" An alarm sounded outside the vault.

Romeo smiled and pulled out the Transporter remote. "Yep. Grab the toolbox. The next stop is MIT. We're going to trade a few of their superconductor magnets for this money."

* * *

 **Thirty minutes later,** the boys reappeared in Romeo's underground lab along with three donut-shaped hunks of metal, laughing. Greg said, "That was fun. I didn't know that robbing a bank was that easy."

Romeo smiled. "I was more surprised it was that easy to steal three superconducting magnets from a highly secure reactor research center."

Greg said, "Hey, it wasn't stealing! We traded them for… how much money?"

Romeo winked. "Eight thousand dollars." He turned toward the _Jenolan_ and whistled. "Hey! Robot! I got three new magnets for the fusion generator. Get them hooked up for me, Greg and I are gonna go screw around in the main lab."

As they walked out of the room, they heard Robot shout, "Yes, Master!"

Greg followed Romeo down the hallway. "What now?"

Romeo said, "I've got a gift especially for you." They eventually came to a room with a large computer mainframe. "This is where I keep my main computer."

Greg nodded and followed Romeo to an old server stack to the side with a lot of electrical components. "Cool."

Romeo nodded. "I agree." Romeo grabbed a sledgehammer from the wall. "Here."

Greg took the sledgehammer. "What do you want me to do?"

Romeo pointed at the small computer mainframe. "Are you angry? Take it out on that."

"About what?"

Romeo raised an eyebrow. "The breakup, Greg."

Greg scratched his ear. "Kinda?"

Romeo paced around him. "I'd be pissed if I were you. Dating a girl for three months only to find out she's also a werewolf that had been torturing me for six years." Romeo stopped and tapped his chin. He turned away from Greg and said, "Almost half your life."

Greg clenched his teeth as Romeo spoke. He seemed apprehensive. "Romeo, I don't like to get angry."

Romeo spun around at Greg and shouted, "Why not? I've given you something to take it out on!" Romeo pointed at the old server mainframe. "Why'd you break up with her Greg?"

Greg stuttered, "I-I, because…" His cheeks were turning red.

Romeo grabbed Greg and shook him. "Get angry and spit it out!" He let go and stepped back. "Now say it! WHY?"

Greg's nostrils flared, and he finally yelled, "Because I couldn't trust her! I never could, but I was too STUPID to realize it!" He screamed and swung the sledgehammer at the old server, creating a metallic uproar.

Romeo smiled wickedly. "Why couldn't you trust her?"

Greg swung the sledgehammer again. "Because she's been hurting my friends and me for years!" He swung the sledgehammer, and metal parts flew everywhere. "I should have realized she was Rip months ago!" He swung again, and computer chips were destroyed. He screamed, "Instead, I fell in love with her and had to tear out my own heart when I finally fucking figured it out!" He roared and swung the sledgehammer a few more times before collapsing onto his knees and crying. He ripped the goggles Romeo gave him earlier off his head.

Romeo figured this would happen, but he was somewhat frightened by Greg's rage, nonetheless. "There you go." He walked over and sat on the floor next to him. "Isn't that better?" Greg nodded, and Romeo offered the sobbing boy a hug.

Greg squeezed Romeo tightly, letting it all out with an agonized growl.

After a minute or so, Greg's cries calmed down, and Romeo said, "It's funny, Greg."

Greg let him go and wiped his eyes. "Huh?"

Romeo took off his own goggles, and sat back, using his hands to hold himself up. "Reality is funny. You were happy to be with her until you realized what she truly was… When your only reality is an illusion, then the illusion _is_ your reality, eh?" He paused for a second, and added, "You found a way out of the illusion, Greg. Welcome back to reality."

Greg nodded and sniffed hard. "Yeah, I guess I did." He laid himself back on the cold concrete floor. He took a few deep breaths. "A relationship has to be based on trust, Romeo."

Romeo raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Greg nodded. "When I figured out she was Rip, I knew I couldn't trust Mandy anymore. That's why I broke up with her."

Romeo nodded. "Smart."

It was silent aside from their breathing for a few minutes. Greg wiped his eyes and sat up. "Thanks… I needed to let all that out. It's been eating at me all day. I was stupid not to realize it earlier."

Romeo stood up, and said, "No, you weren't stupid. We're just kids. You taught me long ago that just because I think something should work out one way, doesn't mean it really should. I had to figure out I was wrong and readjust myself to what was more right. That's why we're friends, now. People aren't always what they appear to be." Romeo offered him a hand.

Greg raised an eyebrow. That didn't make the most sense, but he decided he didn't care. He looked at Romeo's blue eyes for a few seconds before he took the boy's hand and stood up. "Okay."

Romeo smiled. "That's the only way I knew to help. Whenever I decided to stop with the evil thing, I was furious with myself, too. I did the same thing you just did. I busted some stuff up, made a fine mess of the lab, but it made me feel a lot better."

Greg nodded. "I do feel a lot better. It was nice to have a controlled burst of anger for once." He chuckled. "Why'd you put me in the scientist outfit?"

Romeo said, "Mostly in case some surveillance of us survived. Didn't want anyone to recognize you." Greg nodded. "Now, do you wanna play a video game for a little while in the main computer room? Decompress a bit more before I send you back home? Finn told me you like fighter games; I've got a few."

Greg halfway smiled. "You've come a long way from the bratty scientist you were 4 years ago, Romeo."

Romeo smiled. "Much of it with your help, man." Pause. "I'm still not above robbing a bank, though."


	20. That's Gay

The PJ Masks, Greg, Connor, Amaya, Catboy, Gekko, Owlette, PJ Robot, Luna Girl, Night Ninja, Romeo, etc. are all © to their respective owners, presumably Romuald and Disney Junior. The only parts of this work that I claim ownership of are any characters aside from those just mentioned as belonging to Disney (e.g., Finn and Rider are mine). I also own the story itself. Again, none of the characters owned by Romuald or Disney Junior are mine.

 **SPECIAL THANKS GO TO MY BETA READER, ItIsShad0w. He was also my co-writer on this one!**

 **WARNING:** strong language and discussion of human sexuality ahead. Reader discretion is advised.

* * *

 **A couple of days later,** Amaya and Connor were hanging out in a pleasant room with a woman resembling Amaya. It was late afternoon, and the teens were sitting in chairs across from the woman. She was explaining something to the children: "…and that's how we know the answer is choice C."

Connor rubbed his temples. He was terrible at physics. "I… Okay. Thanks, Miss Christy."

The woman, Christy, sighed. "Ya still don't get it?"

Connor shook his head despondently, and Amaya patted his shoulder. "Maybe we can work it out on Mom's board, Connor."

Christy smiled. "Good idea, Amaya. I'll grab some–" She looked at the clock on the wall next to the board. 4:29PM. "OH snap, I've got a meeting! I've gotta go!" She grabbed her laptop and dashed from the room, saying, "I'll be back in an hour, markers are in the desk!"

Amaya and Connor looked at each other. Amaya smiled. "C' mon, I'll walk you through it." She stood up and grabbed some markers from her mom's desk.

Connor sighed, "Okay." He stood up and walked over.

Amaya walked over to the board and started writing out the problem. "Now, let's see here." She began writing out a diagram of a physics problem. She talked about the layout for a few seconds, and said, "So, if we look at the way the block is sitting on the pedestal, we need to figure out how much it accelerates if the pendulum hits it moving at a speed of…" She turned toward Connor to gauge if he was following her explanation. She stopped when it was clear that he was completely spaced out, and staring blankly at the wall.

Connor was snapped back into reality by Amaya thumping his nose. He rubbed his nose and said, "Hey!"

Amaya crassly said, "About time you came back down to Earth. You _gotta_ finish this homework."

Connor sighed. "I-I'm sorry." He sat his binder down and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I'm having trouble concentrating."

Amaya put the cap on the marker. "Well… You have been really spacey lately. Why? Something wrong?"

Connor sighed and scratched his head. "Keep this a secret?" Amaya nodded. "I've got a crush on Rider Evans."

Amaya put her hand over her mouth. "No way! Really? Does Greg know?"

Connor's cheeks turned red, and he felt giggly. "Yeah, and Greg knows, yeah. He was the first one I told." Connor smiled and admitted, "I've been gay for Rider for a long time, I guess… I just figured that out last week, though." Connor took a breath and said, "S-so, he kissed me last weekend at the auditions for the play and I–"

Amaya interjected, " _On the mouth?!_ "

Connor shook his head and smiled cutely. "N-no!" Connor mumbled out, "Uh, he kissed me on the cheek, though… While we were celebrating getting the lead roles. It wasn't anything serious, but it's been stuck in my head ever since. I could barely sleep last night, it just kept replaying in my head."

Amaya slapped his shoulder. "No way, I didn't know you already had a crush. I mean, I know you've been close to… Well, never mind that. Why can't you sleep?"

Connor scratched his head. "I kinda wanna tell him I like him. I just can't stop imagining kissing him on the lips, it's all I can think about." Connor's face was almost as red as the marker Amaya had been using on the board; he couldn't look at Amaya in the eyes when he asked, "Maybe you can help me out?"

Amaya nodded. "Sure! What do you want me to do? I've got your back!"

Connor scratched his head. "Remember that one time you kissed Romeo? Y'know, after he got done fixing my ribs a couple months back?"

Amaya's eyes got big, and she ran over to the door into her mom's office. She closed the door and walked back over to Connor. Quietly, she said, "Keep that quiet, okay?"

Connor nodded, and continued, "Can you tell me… Uh. How do I say this?" Connor's mouth was kinda dry; he swallowed uncomfortably. With his voice quivering, he mumbled out. "Uhm. Wh-wh-what was it like? T-to kiss a boy?"

Amaya grinned widely. "It was fun! He was freaking the hell out, and I could really tell. His cheek was so soft, and I had all these butterflies and stuff in my tummy. It was SO weird, but it was such a rush."

Connor nodded. "Okay. I was just wondering if it felt how I kept on imagining it." His cheeks were holding at a steady crimson red.

Amaya smiled. "Yeah, but I only kissed him on the cheek, remember? The only way to find out is to try it for yourself, I guess."

Connor sat down in one of the chairs they were in earlier. "This whole being out thing is sorta confusing. What if he's straight? He's so handsome, Amaya, why would he be gay?"

Amaya frowned. "Why does he have to be unattractive to be gay? You're one of the most handsome people in our class at school, and you are gay. Rider could be, too."

Connor's blush somehow intensified with that compliment. "Do you mean that? You think he could be gay?"

Amaya walked over and sat next to Connor. With a thoughtful tone, she said, "Connor, you're one of the most beautiful people I know, inside and out." She ran her fingers down from his ear to his chin. "And yeah, he might be. You are… Why wouldn't he maybe be gay too? Did you consider he could be bi? You told me coming out was scary the other day… If he's not straight, he's probably just as scared to be out as you were."

Connor shook his head. "I didn't think of that, no." Connor looked down. "Besides, I am still kinda scared to let people at school know I'm gay. It's none of their business who I like."

Amaya grinned. "OH, c 'mon. You should tell him, even if he ends up being straight. You two are good buddies. Besides that, everyone that you were anxious about telling you're gay already knows, now. Your parents, Greg, and I all know. We were the ones you were worried about being rejected by, right?"

Connor nodded excitedly. "That's true! Who cares what everyone else thinks?" He wiggled around. "I don't think Rider would freak out, anyways. M-m-maybe I can mention some gay actor or something and see how he handles that?"

Amaya said, "Good idea!" She was going to continue before a knocking sounded at the door: _knock…knock… ding, ding, ding, knock._ Amaya raised an eyebrow; she knew that pattern. "Hey, that's Romeo!"

She opened the door, and Romeo walked in, still in his private school's uniform. "Hey!" He saw Connor and said, "Oh, hey, Connor! You okay?" He noticed the boy's face was flushed.

Connor said, "h-huh?"

Romeo pointed at his cheeks. "Why are your cheeks so red?"

Amaya said, "Oh, this physics homework has him upset, is all." When Romeo looked at Connor, Amaya winked subtly.

Connor clumsily stammered out, "Uh, y-yeah. Stupid physics homework is killing me!"

Romeo looked back and forth between them, and then said, "Uh, that sucks, I guess…" He took a breath. "Now, look, I've got something a bit more important than physics homework for you."

Amaya raised an eye and said, "Oh?"

Romeo nodded. "Yeah. I wanted to come clean to you before you find out the hard way. Did you see the bank robbery on the news yesterday?"

Connor's blush was receding, now. He spoke up, "Yeah, someone blew a hole in the vault, right?"

Romeo grinned. "It wasn't just someone. It was _me_."

Amaya's expression had already turned angry. "Why?" She demanded.

Romeo nonchalantly said, "To be fair, I left them fourteen thousand dollars of scrap metal in exchange for the eight thousand dollars I took."

Amaya sighed, and her anger seemed to subside. "The superconducting magnets?"

Romeo nodded. "Yeah, three of them melted… So, I went with plan B and got three from the stash they keep at MIT's research reactor. Traded the cash from the bank for 'em."

Connor scratched his head. "So… You're not going evil again, right?"

Romeo rolled his eyes, "Greg asked the same thing! No way."

Connor raised a finger. "Wait, _Greg?_ "

Amaya twitched. The rage was returning. "You took _Greg?"_

Romeo nodded. "Yeah, he needed to blow off some steam."

Connor looked at Amaya; he was slightly scared. She sternly said, "What? How did robbing a bank do that? I thought that was OUR plan!"

Romeo realized he probably should have guarded his tongue better. "It… Didn't?" Romeo unbuttoned the top button on his polo shirt; it was getting warm in here, all of a sudden. "Letting him mess up an old, uh, an older server rack was where he blew off all the steam" He seemed to be regretting opening his big mouth. "I just brought him along to the bank for laughs, Amaya. I swear!"

Connor felt Amaya's rage bubbling out. He needed to abandon this ship, quick. "UH, I gotta go." He quickly grabbed his stuff and said, "Uh, I love you guys! Thanks for the advice, Amaya." He practically sprinted out of the office, taking care to ensure the door closed behind him.

He was barely a few steps down the hall before he heard Amaya yelling. Connor grimaced and mumbled to himself, "Romeo fucked up, man." Connor wasn't even mad. Greg's a big kid, but Romeo left Amaya out. He shouldn't have done that.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Greg's house, he had just gotten home from his last swim team practice before Christmas break, and it was a killer practice. He sat limply on the couch, watching television. It had been a dreary day at school, and he didn't have any homework left to do. He'd finished it a little while ago. Finn was out on a playdate with one of his friends from preschool, and Connor and Amaya were at the university. Overall, it has been a dull afternoon.

Greg was getting ready to drift to sleep on the couch when he was jarred awake by the doorbell ringing. "Huh?" He snapped up and cursed. He walked down the hallway and to the front door.

He opened the door and found a strange boy there. Greg shyly greeted, "Hi. Can I help you?" The slender boy had shaggy brown hair and cyan eyes. He was wearing a cute teal and black jacket over a striped t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. A handsome fellow with a friendly smile.

The boy said, "Uh, hi. I'm Kevin. Mandy's cousin. I brought you a couple things."

Greg's eyes went wide. "Oh, Kevin! I'd heard about you."

Another boy stepped into view outside, and with a British accent, he added, "And I'm Ryan." He was fair skinned, sporting messy hair, brown at the roots but gradually it lightens up to white at the tips. Like Greg, he was lean and muscular.

Greg said, "Oh, hi!"

With a wild look in his eyes, Kevin said, "We're here to bring you back your hoodie and your book.…" He smiled handsomely. "Gekko." Kevin handed Greg a hoodie and a book.

The color drained from Greg's face. "How'd you know that?" He took the items from Kevin.

Ryan said, "Mandy told us about it right after you broke up."

Greg sighed and gestured for the boys to come inside. "You two must have gotten there just in time for her to tell you before…"

As he stepped inside, Kevin said, "Before you erased her memory?" Ryan followed him inside, both grinning widely.

Greg said, "Ah, dammit."

Ryan laughed. "We thought it was funny, actually."

Kevin nodded. "Yeah. It was probably better off that she didn't remember you're Gekko."

Greg sighed. "I know." He scratched his head. "Look, would either of you care to sit down? I've got snacks."

Kevin said, "Nah, we just ate. Let's have a seat, though, right, Ryan?"

Ryan nodded and grabbed Kevin's hand. "Yeah, let's."

Greg smiled. "Okay, follow me." Greg led them into the living room. "Dude, I've wanted to ask you two some things ever since I met Ryan the other day!" Greg gestured toward the couch for them to sit down. He took a seat in the nearby recliner.

As they sat down on the couch, Ryan said, "Oh?"

Greg nodded. "Yeah, I was wondering." He scratched his head. "You two were kissing when I interrupted you last week. What's that like?"

Kevin laughed. "What? Getting interrupted?"

Greg laughed at the witty reply. "No, kissing!"

Ryan replied, "You and Mandy kissed, right? You tell me."

Greg sighed. "I meant kissing a boy. I've never done that."

Kevin chuckled. "Kissing Mandy probably was like kissing a boy! She's really aggressive."

Ryan nodded. "The girl is right dominant, yeah."

Greg sighed. "Ah, well, thanks anyway, guys. I'm sure it's not that big a difference." He scratched his head. "How'd you two meet? And how'd you react when you found out Kevin was a werewolf, Ryan?"

Ryan giggled a little. "We met at Comic-Con. I was in line to buy a Pop figure, and he was behind me, and we just started chatting. He gave me his number, not knowing we lived so close together, and over time, we got closer until, well, we got together." He squeezed Kevin's hand slightly. "And to answer your second question, I went round his one night, and it happened that it was a full moon, so whilst we were in the middle of, erm, something." Kevin giggled in the background, and Ryan looked at him with a smile. "and he started turning into a fucking werewolf, it was interesting, to say the least, but I'm a big fan of wolves 'n shit, so I was actually really excited, strange as it was.".

Kevin reached his head over and kissed Ryan on the cheek. Greg raised an eyebrow. "Well, at least you found someone who likes you as a werewolf, Kevin."

Kevin smiled dreamily. "Yeah. I'd always been nervous about that. And besides, I can't blame you for breaking up with Mandy. Rip is mean."

Greg smiled haphazardly. "Yeah, I guess. You two keep it a secret from her who I am? Please. That was supposed to be a gift. And just in general, keep it a secret?"

Kevin nodded. "Okay." He tapped his chin. "Hey, wanna trade numbers?"

"Tryna get with another man, Kev?" Ryan said with a chuckle.

Kevin punched Ryan's arm lightly. "No, you know better! I've been friends with him as Gekko for like 6 years or something. I flirted with him before, he had his chance. 'sides, you got a killer ass, and you like wolves. I don't think Greg does." Ryan stuck out his tongue.

Greg laughed and grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil from the coffee table. He scribbled down his cell number. "He's right, Ryan. I'm not into wolves. Here ya go, Kevin. Text me, whenever."

Ryan looked at his watch. "Hey, we didn't plan on staying this late, Kev. We gotta get to my house. Mum will leave us behind."

Kevin took the paper, and said, "Thanks, Greg. I'll text you later."

They stood up, and Greg said, "Cool. I'll walk you out!"


	21. Emanations

The PJ Masks, Greg, Connor, Amaya, Catboy, Gekko, Owlette, PJ Robot, Luna Girl, Night Ninja, Romeo, etc. are all © to their respective owners, presumably Romuald and Disney Junior.

Finn Edmonds belongs to and is © to me, AmbassadorJJ/jjtherobot. All rights to Finn are mine. This story is also owned by and © to me. All rights to the story are MINE.

Now, not all the characters appearing in this special chapter are mine! (obviously)

Candela and Daniel belong to and are © by Dapple-ishh here on FF; all rights for them are reserved to Dapple. Finley and the ideas applied to him belong to Dapple as well, but he is based on my character, Finn. If you want to learn more about Dapple's universe, check out her fics here on FF. If you want a reason to check her stuff out, Finn has a cameo in her fics! 😉

Blair, Everett, and Macbeth all belong to and are © by lukas-circus; all rights for them are reserved to Luka. If you wanna learn more about Luka's stories, or learn where he is so you can ask him questions or give him love for his adorable characters, check out my profile! I've got a few links there with his stuff.

Special thanks are due to Dapple and Luka for letting me use their characters and for brainstorming this crazy expedition with me the other day. This was initially supposed to be a cameo, but, thanks to Dapple and Luka, this actually turned into a significant, relevant plot arc for _Anomalous_.

Thanks also go to my beta reader, ItIsShad0w for his own brief review of this chapter. Thanks, bud.

WARNING: strong language and discussion of human sexuality ahead. Reader discretion is advised.

* * *

 **The next week, it was a chilly December afternoon outside and 4-year-old Finn Edmonds** was playing in his room. It was too chilly outside for him to play out there today, so, he was inside, bundled up in his footie pajamas, building with his block set. He finished the tower he was working on just as someone said, "That's cool!"

Finn whirled around and found a strange sight: a girl with long red hair that went down to her knees, brown eyes, and white skin. She wore a green dress. She was about Finn's age and was shorter than him. Finn said, "Hi."

The girl smiled. "Hi, I'm Blair."

Another voice chimed in, saying, "and I'm Everett!"

Finn spun to his left and said, "Huh?" There stood a boy, closer to Finn's height. He had curly red hair with white streaks running through it. He was unusually pale, but he had a rash of cute freckles on his face and nose and a charming toothy grin.

Finn scratched his head, and looked back and forth between the two children; where had they come from? They seemed friendly enough, so Finn didn't dwell on how or why. "I'm Finn. Wanna build wif me?" The room seemed to have gotten colder.

They both replied, "Yeah!"

As Finn went to grab the bigger box of building blocks, he felt the room grew even colder. Another new voice said, "Hey, cool tower!"

Finn spun around quickly, and said, "Woah, who are you?"

With a soothing voice, the new girl replied, "I'm Candela." Alongside Blair and Everett stood a tall girl with long, spikey brown hair that ends in the middle of her back. She had tan skin like Connor's, and she was a decent amount taller than Finn. She had baby blue eyes that mixed well with the big freckles scattered across her face and was wearing a blue hoodie with blue pants. She had beautiful pink and burgundy flowers growing out of her chest, right over her heart.

Finn said, "H-hi, Candela. I'm Finn, and they are Everett and Blair." Finn pointed to the other two children, and the other children introduced themselves. Finn was enamored with the flowers on Candela's chest; he noticed a petal fall from one of the flowers, and that the stems of the flower were stained with blood. "Are you okay, Candela?" He pointed at her chest.

Candela said, "What?" She looked at her chest, and said, "OH, those. My flowers. I had heart problems when I was born, so I died."

Finn scratched his head. "So... You're okay now?"

Candela nodded, but said, "None of you have flowers, though. Are you not stars, too?"

Everett and Blair scratched their heads. Blair said, "A star? I'm dead."

Finn raised an eyebrow. "Dead? What's that?"

Candela quickly said, "It means she isn't alive!"

Everett tapped his chin. "I-I think I'm dead too. Mister Macbeth won't admit it, though." Pause, and he scratched his head. "My sister was there, and there was a car, then everything got cold…" He seemed slightly confused.

Finn moved closer to the three children and noticed that the sunlight streaming in through his window kinda shone through them. They were all three a tiny bit see-through, and their shadows weren't as strong as his. Candela even had a slight glow around her, almost like a star. "Wow." He looked at Candela's flowers closer. "What's a star, Candela?"

Candela said, "Do you wanna find out? We have a star with a name like yours. He's a bit older than you, though, and he has lots of pretty flowers like mine! Wanna meet him?" Finn nodded. "Pick one of my flowers" She held her hand out to Finn.

Finn was curious, so he nodded his head. "Okay." Finn reached out toward Candela's flowers, eager to pick one and meet this boy that shared his name, but he was interrupted by a man's voice.

"Candela, there you are. Such a spunky girl, what are you getting into, here?"

A hand grabbed Finn, and he spun around to find… Greg? Candela said, "Nothing, I'm just making friends!"

Finn studied the man. The man wasn't quite like Greg. He looked similar, though; he had bright green eyes like Greg, and the messy blonde hair, too. But, he was too tall, too muscular, and he had a blonde beard; Greg didn't have those things. He was slightly see-through, though, just like these new children. Like Candela, he had flowers sprouting from him; specifically, from his right hip up along his ribs. "Who are you? A-are you dead, too?" This was getting weird, but Finn liked making new friends.

The man raised an eyebrow. "My name is Daniel, and I am not alive, yeah… Who are _you,_ little boy?" He scratched his chin, and Finn realized that the man had a slightly more defined jawline than Greg does, too.

"I'm Finn. Where did you all come from?"

Daniel tapped his chin thoughtfully. "We came from the City of Stars. Candela seems to have found somewhere… Different. You look like our Finley, on our side of the portal, but you're younger than him. Are you alive?"

Finn wasn't sure what to say to that. "Uh. Yeah?"

Daniel looked at Candela. "Candela, you could've hurt him, goofy."

Candela smiled nonchalantly. "He said he wanted to meet Finley."

Daniel grinned. "Well, go back and get him. That's probably easier than taking this boy back to our world. His soul is still in his body."

Candela blinked. "Oh. I didn't think of that. I'll be right back, Finn!" She disappeared.

Daniel stood up and made a puzzled expression, so Finn turned to look at Blair and Everett. Blair said, "Do you have a guardian angel, Finn?"

Finn was confused even more. "What's that?"

Blair looked at Everett, then back to Finn. "D-do you not have one?"

Finn shook his head. "No?"

Blair said, "How about monsters? Do you have those?"

Finn tapped his chin. "Greggy says we definitely have werewolves."

Everett seemed unconvinced. Warily, he asked, "How about aliens?"

Finn made a frown. "My dad says they aren't real!" He scurried over to his bed and looked underneath it. "And that they definitely don't live under my bed."

Daniel tapped his chin. "This is odd."

At that moment, Candela reappeared, holding another boy's hand. "This is him, Finley! His name is Finn, too!"

Finley scratched his head; he wasn't used to being called by his full name; they usually shortened it to just Finn, but this other boy apparently had that name, too. He was just like Finn; small, blonde, with uniquely icy blue eyes. He was a bit taller than Finn and had the pretty flowers sprouting from places along his entire body. "Hi."

Finn rubbed his eyes. The boy was a mirror image of himself, aside from the flowers and the height difference. "Hi, I'm Finn."

Finley put up a hand, and the boys held their hands together. Finley looked at Daniel. "Can I give him a hug?" He felt unsure about it.

Daniel scratched his head, and Everett and Blair mumbled to each other interestedly; this was neat. The flowers growing on Finley and Candela, oleanders, were dangerous to somebody that is still alive. Daniel said, "I'm not sure, Finley. Your flowers are poisonous to him."

Finn was excited to have what was, basically, a twin. He considered what the poison flowers would do to him, and remembered that Greg told him only to use the magic healing spell for essential things. This seemed important. "I'll be okay. I'm magic." He hugged the boy tight.

Finley laughed sweetly and hugged the slightly smaller boy back. "Okay!" The two of them giggled.

"Oh my God." Everyone's heads shot to the doorway, where Greg stood. "What the-" He looked confusedly at the scene in front of him. A bunch of little kids AND a copy of his little brother. "D-dad?"

Daniel waved. "Not exactly."

Finley and Candela both shouted, "Greg!" Everett and Blair seemed slightly confused.

Everyone except for Finn was a bit see-through. Greg said. "I-I uh." Greg's eyes rolled back into his head, and he crumpled into the floor.

Daniel laughed. "Heh, he fainted. Seems like something my Greg would do, too."

Candela said, "Isn't he the boy that held onto Connor?"

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, that's him. At least, one version of him, I suppose."

Finn let go of Finley, and quickly said the healing spell, "Vimanil!" Nothing seemed to change, though; maybe the flowers weren't so toxic after all. Perhaps he had to eat them or something.

Finley eyed the smaller boy. "You know the healing word?"

Finn nodded. "Yeah! Thunderbird taught it to me." He trotted over to his big brother on the ground. He looked up at Daniel; it wasn't really his dad, but he seemed trustworthy. "Is he okay?"

Daniel replied, "Probably." Daniel rubbed his chin and sighed. "Maybe we're in a different universe. This boy isn't exactly like my Greg, and," he said, looking toward Blair and Everett, "you two are not alive, but aren't stars. I heard a Forget-Me-Not-Star speak of something like this once."

Everett walked over to Greg and said, "What a big baby! Did we scare him?" He giggled.

Finn said, "I think so. Maybe he's sleepy?"

Finley and Candela giggled. Candela walked over to Blair, and they chattered, snickering occasionally.

Greg woke up slightly and saw Finn staring. "Finn?"

"Greggy! I met some dead people!"

"Wh-what?" Greg looked to his other side and saw Finley, covered in flowers. He was kinda see-through, too.

Finley waved politely and said, "Hi."

Greg looked around the room and found the rest of the spirits were still there, too. Greg felt the color drain from his face. The man, Daniel said, "Now, Greg… Don't be scared."

Too late. Greg grabbed Finn and sprinted out of the room. Finn said, "Greg!"

Greg ran to the bottom of the stairs and grabbed their coats with his free arm as they ran past the coat rack, not bothering to put them on. They burst out the front door of the house, and Greg sprinted toward Connor's front door.

Greg pounded on Connor's door, and said, "CONNOR! CONNOR!"

Connor answered the door after a few seconds. "What?! Are you okay?"

Greg dashed inside and hid behind Connor. He babbled incoherently about spirits.

Connor grabbed him and said, "Woah, woah, hang on. Calm down. You're okay here, Greg."

Finn shouted, "Lemme down! I wanted to play wif 'em!" He squirmed free of Greg's grip.

A man's voice sounded behind them. "You know, just because we're ghosts doesn't mean we can't follow you, dude." It was Daniel and the whole entourage of dead kids: Candela, Blair, Finley, and Everett.

Greg screeched like a wounded animal and dropped the coats, clinging onto Connor tightly as Finn ran over to the children. Connor was a bit frightened, but he figured these people looked friendly for ghosts. "Greg. Chill. They look friendlier than Casper the friendly ghost, geez."

Candela and Finn quickly ran over to Connor. "Connor!"

Daniel eyed Connor. "I see you're still cool-headed in this universe, Connor."

Connor grinned, "Uh, thanks? You look kinda like Greg's dad… and did you say another universe?" Connor found himself being clung onto by Finley and Candela.

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, I am Greg's dad. From another universe, I guess. The name's Daniel. Candela and Finley are from my universe, too. These two, Everett and Blair, are apparently from another one altogether."

Connor seemed amused. "Cool. See Greg, they're cool. Daniel says so." Greg loosened his grip on Connor but remained wary.

Candela said, "I'm your sister, Connor!"

Finley let go of Connor and said, "Tell us another story!"

Connor said, "Wait, hang on. One thing at a time, kiddos. My _sister_?" He raised an eyebrow.

Candela nodded, but Daniel clarified, "Ah, she's your sister in our universe. We have a Connor too. She just got to meet him recently. It was a big day, the kids were excited. That's been a few weeks, though."

Connor raised an eyebrow; he had more questions about that. "So.. how did she meet him?

Candela said, "It's a long story."

Connor almost said something back, but stopped when Finley poked Greg, and said, "Hey, we're not meanies." Greg seemed unconvinced.

Mirroring that sentiment, Daniel walked over. "He's right." He smiled. "It's been a while since I've seen my son in person. You're not him, but you look just like him, and I would love a hug."

Connor pushed Greg away from him. "C' mon, give the dead guy a hug, Greg."

Greg seemed apprehensive. "I…" Daniel looked a lot like his dad. "Okay." Greg hugged him, wrapping one of his arms around the man's neck to avoid the flowers on Daniel's right side.

Daniel seemed pleased. "Thanks."

Connor looked over and saw Finn playing with Everett and Blair. Everett's white and red streaked hair reminded him of Romeo, which brought a thought to his head. "Well. Maybe this has something to do with the Anomaly."

Greg nodded. "Maybe it does… Should we go see Romeo?"

Connor scratched his head. "Yeah. Probably."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Are you boys friends with Romeo?" Connor nodded. "Huh, that is sort of different."

Connor said, "I'm actually sorta curious to hear about your version of Connor. How'd he meet you, if you're… y' know…"

Daniel said, "I bet Candela would be happy to tell the story."

Candela said, "Yeah!"

Finn ran over to Finley, along with Everett and Blair. Finn said, "Hey! Do you like elephants?"

Finley nodded quickly. "Yeah! Why?"

Finn smiled. "Wanna hear 'bout one? He's my spirit animal!"

Blair said, "Like in a circus?"

Finn nodded happily. "Yeah!"

Greg sighed; he wasn't panicking anymore, but this shit was weird. "I'm gonna text Romeo, he can probably use the transporter to poof all of us back to his lab."

* * *

30 minutes later, Romeo did just that. The group, now including Amaya, materialized near the entrance to the lab, sitting with their legs crossed, watching Candela finish a story. "...and then my Connor swung the girl up to safety, but he fell into the river. Gekko tried to save him, but it was too late for him, and he got to come to the City of the Stars with us for an afternoon. He went back to Gekko, though, right, Daniel?"

Daniel nodded. "Yep, that's the story, Candela. You told it well." Candela smiled at the praise, and the various kids all clapped for her.

Greg eyed Connor, who was sitting next to him. Connor had a hand over his side; he felt uncomfortable with that story. Connor asked, "So… Uh… How many times did he… get stabbed?"

Finley, who was seated next to Connor, chimed in and said, "Seven!"

Everett said, "Cool."

Connor had never liked the number seven… Daniel patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it so much. This universe and our universe are obviously different. At your age, a lot of things have happened differently for you already than they have for my universe."

Greg smiled. This might not be his dad exactly, but Daniel had that same style of relaxed calm as his actual dad, Alan. Greg remarked, "Good story, though; your Connor went out heroically." Candela gleamed; she was proud of her brother.

Amaya said, "Yeah, I'd rather go out with less drama if I can avoid it. That sounded rough."

Blair, who was seated next to Everett, said, "It seemed like a cool death to me. Better than going out sick."

Finley nodded. "Yeah, sick stinks."

Connor mumbled, "Being in that coma was bad enough for me. A peaceful death would be preferable. Especially after I came out, I just wanna be happy."

Finn had been sitting in Greg's lap, listening intently to the story. He reached over and put a hand on Connor's side. He said, " _Vimanil._ "

Connor looked down at Finn and smiled. "No healing needed, Finn. Thanks, though." Finn smiled back, and Connor felt… better, for some reason. Amaya ruffled his hair.

Daniel seemed interested, though; he said, "Did you say you came out recently, Connor?"

Connor nodded. "Yeah! Greg was with me, and my Mom and Dad didn't freak out. It was awesome."

Daniel seemed very happy to hear that. "Good for you, Connor."

Candela laughed. "You're gay in, like, _every_ universe."

Connor, Amaya, Greg, and Daniel all laughed at that remark. From behind them, Romeo said, "There's no surprise there. Now, why are you bringing dead people here?" Romeo had already accepted that this was weird, but, multiverse theory said this is possible, so… He went along with it once Greg explained it over the phone earlier.

Everett's head shot around. "Daddy?" He looked at the person before him carefully. Baby blue eyes, and black hair with a white stripe, similar to the white streaks in Everett's hair.

Romeo looked confused. "Who?" He looked around and pointed to himself. "Me?"

With a gleeful squeal, Everett sprinted over to Romeo and screamed, "Daddy!" He jumped, and Romeo caught him. Everett started to cry cathartically, and Romeo looked dumbfounded. "I missed you, dad!"

Blair motioned for Candela to sit beside her, and they both watched as Everett cried on Romeo's shoulder. The scientist was, to say the least, confused. "W-what?"

Amaya motioned for Romeo to rock the toddler around. Romeo did so, and the entire group watched as this continued. It was quite a sight to behold. Romeo looked at Greg and silently mouthed, "What's his name?"

Greg said, "His name is Everett."

Romeo nodded, and after a minute or so, Everett looked up from the spot he had been crying on. No tears had fallen onto Romeo, yet, the boy's weight was there in his arms. This whole ghost thing was weird. Romeo felt strangely protective of the small child. "Uhm, h-hi there, uh, Everett."

Everett pressed his cheek against Romeo's and said, "Daddy." He hugged him again. "Why'd you get smaller?"

Romeo was genuinely confused. "I didn't?"

Everett didn't seem to care. He pulled away and tilted his head at the older boy. "Where's my papa?"

Romeo was more confused than he'd ever been in his entire life. And it only got worse when a voice said, "Everett! There you are. What have I told you… uh, about wandering around?"

Everyone looked at this newcomer. He was pale and tall, with black hair that had a few white streaks and grey eyes. His clothes were black, covered mostly by a cloak. At a glance, the male looked like a walking corpse.

"Sorry, Mackey…" Everett, who apparently was the only one who knew Macbeth, looked at him with his bright blue eyes. "But, look! I found my dad! ….kinda.." He mumbled the last part.

"Look, kid, that's not your dad. I wouldn't even get attached since-" He stopped himself. Nope, not repeating that mistake again. "And don't call me 'Mackey.' "

"Who... No, _what_ the hell are you?" Romeo asked, holding Everett closer. He didn't like the fact that Macbeth knew him, and he didn't like the way Macbeth spoke to the little boy.

"Me? I am the creature that you have feared for centuries, the thing that has taken the lives of millions and is still hungry for more. I am the son of Hades, the Angel of Death, Reaper of Souls-"

"He's the Grim Reaper," Everett interrupted. Clearly, the boy had heard this speech a million times and wasn't too keen on hearing it again.

Everyone but Blair seemed disturbed by this revelation, and Romeo said, "I don't care if he's the fucking fairy godmother. He can get right the fuck out of my lab." He shifted Everett to where the toddler was resting to one side on Romeo's ribs.

Macbeth scoffed, "Oh, and who are you, a discount Victor Frankenstein?"

Romeo was speechless for a moment. Daniel and Finley eyed each other. Candela and Blair giggled goofily together, and Greg and Connor held in their own laughter. Finn looked at Amaya, somewhat confusedly. Finley silently got up and walked over to Daniel. A petal dropped from one of Finley's flowers as he whispered, "This would go well with popcorn." Daniel chuckled, and Finley giggled too. The others glanced at the two of them, but Macbeth, Romeo, and Everett didn't notice them.

Romeo was incensed, and yelled back, "I-I-I, Well. NO!" He had to hold it together; there's no way this guy knew about that one time; nobody can _ever_ know about that. He shot back, "Fuck you! At least I'm not the one who looks like they live in a Hot Topic." Everett giggled.

Macbeth smirked and said, "At least I didn't genetically engineer a kid in a lab." He nodded toward Everett.

Romeo's anger subsided momentarily. "Wait, _what?_ " He looked at Everett and blurted out, "What does he mean?"

Everett cheerfully replied, "You remember! You used dad's DNA to make me, too. In your lab!" He took a deep breath and cutely enunciated, "I'm genetically engineered!"

Romeo did some mental math… He could _probably_ pull that off. He'd need to buy a kitchen timer, a turkey baster, and some PVC piping, but it shouldn't be too hard... Romeo snapped out of it, though. There was the burning question: "Who is your other dad, er, _Papa_ , exactly, Everett?" Romeo has a significant other in some other universe? AND a kid?

Everett raised an eyebrow. "Uh, Papa runs a gang!"

Romeo blinked, and stared at the little one's red hair with white stripes. This kid has to be his. From another universe, sure, but it's his child; this mutation with hair color was ridiculously rare. As for who his other dad was, Romeo quickly thought of two possible options. He said the one that made him feel least sick: "I-is he a ninja? His name is Nick?" Everett nodded sweetly. Romeo looked at Amaya. "Oh. My. God." He blinked a few times and said. "I should text him."

Amaya interrupted his panicking and said, "You have Night Ninja's cell number? Why'd you never mention that?"

Romeo snapped back, "It never came up!"

Before Amaya could respond, Macbeth chimed in and snidely said, "If you're a scientist, how the fuck are you so stupid? Really."

Enraged, Romeo whirled around and said, "HEY, FUCK YOU." He reached into the pocket of his pants with his free hand and started to withdraw some sort of weapon before someone spoke up.

Daniel was the one that finally interrupted the exchange between Romeo and Macbeth. "Okay, look, you two chill out. There are kids here." Someone probably had to be the adult in the room. Daniel shot a glance at Finley; he definitely wasn't gonna do it.

Amaya said, "Yeah, Romeo, this probably has something to do with the Anomaly. We should look into it before this gets weirder."

Macbeth made an amused grunt. "You do that. I've got souls to reap back in my universe." He pointed at Everett, and said, "I'll be back for him later." He disappeared without a sound.

Everett waved, "Bye, Mackey!"

Romeo glared at the place Macbeth had been standing, but grudgingly said, "The Hell he will..." He looked at Everett, and his demeanor changed to something softer. "Can I let you down?"

Everett shook his head and clung tightly to Romeo. "No! I get to spend the day with dad!"

Romeo was, surprisingly, not annoyed by this. He actually smiled at the little redhead. "Okay." He turned toward Amaya and said, "Amaya? Will you help me?"

Amaya nodded. "Sure, I'll take him" She stood up and walked over to Romeo.

Romeo looked at her curtly. "That's _not_ what I meant..." He hugged the toddler tightly and walked over to the main computer's interface. Amaya followed him, and Romeo said, "I want you to work the computer."

Amaya smiled and said, "Awww, that's cute, Romeo. Feeling like a parent, huh?"

Romeo glared at her and quietly growled out, "Just... shut up. Let's get to work." Romeo wasn't sure about how he felt about Everett; all he knew for sure was that he didn't want to let go of the little boy. His strangely protective feeling from earlier had grown into an overwhelming compulsion to protect Everett, and Romeo wasn't sure why he felt like this.

Candela broke the silence in the group as they watched by appearing behind Connor and saying, "That was cute."

Connor looked back at the girl and smiled. With his most excited voice he could muster, he said, "Hey! I got an idea, kiddos. Who wants to play hide and seek while we wait on them?"

Greg and Daniel were both impressed with the idea as the assorted small children cheered at the thought.

* * *

AUTHOR NOTE:

 **I have had SO MUCH FUN writing this crossover story. Dapple and Luka both helped me a lot with their characters, especially Luka, who wrote several lines of the dialogue with Everett, Macbeth, and Romeo for me. Thanks, y' all!**

 **The exciting crossover will conclude in Chapter 22!**


	22. Reflections

he PJ Masks, Greg, Connor, Amaya, Catboy, Gekko, Owlette, the PJ Robot, Robette, Luna Girl, Night Ninja, Marvin, The Ninjalinos, Romeo, the Robot, The Wolfy Kids, Kevin, Rip, Howler, and Armadylan are © Frog Box / Entertainment One UK Limited / Walt Disney EMEA Productions Limited 2014-2019.

Finn Edmonds belongs to and is © to me, AmbassadorJJ. All rights to Finn are mine. **This story** is also owned by and © to me. All rights to the story are MINE.

Now, not all the characters appearing in this special chapter are mine! (obviously)

Candela and Daniel belong to and are © by Dapple-ishh here on FF; all rights for them are reserved to Dapple. Finley and the ideas applied to him belong to Dapple as well, but he is based on my character, Finn. If you want to learn more about Dapple's universe, check out his fics here on . If you want a reason to check his stuff out, Finn has a cameo in his fics! ?

Blair, Everett, and Macbeth all belong to and are © by lukas-circus; all rights for them are reserved to Luka. If you wanna learn more about Luka's stories, or learn where he is so you can ask him questions or give him love for his adorable characters, check out my profile! I've got a few links there with his stuff.

Special thanks are due to Dapple and Luka for letting me use their characters and for brainstorming this crazy expedition with me the other day. This was initially supposed to be a cameo, but, thanks to Dapple and Luka, this actually turned into a significant, relevant plot arc for _Anomalous_.

Thanks also go to my beta reader, ItIsShad0w for his own brief review of this chapter. Thanks, bud.

WARNING: strong language and discussion of human sexuality ahead. Reader discretion is advised.

* * *

 **Two hours later,** Romeo giggled as he ran down a hallway in his underground lab. "I'll get you, Evy!" He chased the little dead boy excitedly; he'd grown to like this protective feeling he had around him.

Everett squealed as they ran out the hallway and back into the central lab area. Amaya was seated at the computer console at the other side of the room, and she watched with a smile as they ran. Romeo scooped Everett up, and Amaya hated to interrupt their fun. She put her fingers to her lips and whistled shrilly. "Romeo!" Romeo jerked his head around and looked at her. "Jarvis and I figured it out."

Romeo jogged over, sweating from all the running he'd been doing. He sat Everett down and said, "Everett, go play with Connor and the others, okay?"

Everett frowned and said, "But dad, I wanna stay."

Romeo wiped the sweat from his forehead. "No, buddy, this is a talk for grown-ups only." He made a stern look. "Go play with Connor and Blair."

Everett sighed but decided this adult stuff would probably be boring. "Fine." He heard Amaya saying something about the Anomaly as he trotted off to find Connor and join the hide and seek game.

As Everett ran down the hallway, he passed by Greg and Daniel, who were walking out the hall. Daniel was saying, "…but the best advice I can give you is to keep an open mind. I mean, you are an item in my universe, but not until you're older. Maybe you should try it out sometime? The worst thing that happens is that you don't enjoy it. In which case, you've learned something about yourself, right?"

Greg nodded as Everett zoomed by them. "Right. Thanks for the advice. I had been nervous to ask my Dad about that…" Daniel patted the boy on the shoulder, and Greg asked, "Do you miss your family, Daniel?"

Daniel sighed. "I do, yes." Daniel put his arm around Greg as they approached Romeo and Amaya at the computer console. "You're not exactly like my Greg, but it has been a joy to interact with you. You remind me of him so much. But you've got a strange vibe about you that he didn't. Maybe it's because you're a big brother."

Greg smiled. "I bet it's because of the big brother thing. It has been nice getting to know you, too. You're a bit more relaxed than my Dad normally is."

Daniel clicked his tongue. "In fairness, I'm dead. Not much for me to worry about anymore."

Amaya spun around in the computer chair. "I hate to cut your conversation short, but we are ready to try and close the Anomaly, guys."

Romeo nodded. "Yeah, we're concerned that maybe we shouldn't let it stay open. The anti-proton flux is pretty high. Plus, that grim reaper asshole that knows Everett annoyed the hell out of me. I don't want him to come back."

Greg interjected, "Look, we don't need to know the technical details. Just... What needs to be done?"

Romeo rubbed his temples and said, "Gather everyone together. Amaya and I are going to prepare a phased tachyon pulse. It _should_ mostly seal the instabilities that allowed them through."

Daniel nodded. "Okay, let's do that, then."

Before anyone could continue, a child's voice shouted, "HELP!" Everyone spun around and saw Candela standing at the entrance to the hallway. "Daniel!"

Daniel and Greg eyed each other. Daniel bolted, and Greg said, "You two stay here, we'll handle whatever this is." Greg dashed after Daniel, and they soon caught up to Candela. She led them down the hallway.

Daniel asked, "What happened, Candela?"

Candela stammered, "It's Connor!" She turned into a side room and there they found a lab bench with various electronics. Connor and Finley were there; Connor was sitting on the ground, and Finley seemed upset. Blair stood nearby with a concerned look on her face.

Greg's eyes nearly popped out of his skull; he exclaimed, "Connor! Are you okay?"

Connor put up a hand and threw up abruptly, so Finley cried, "It was an accident! I forgot; I promise!" He ran over to Daniel.

Connor coughed and laughed. "H-he tackled me when I found him." He pointed to several cuts on his arms. "Those flowers really are poisonous, huh?" He sat back against the bench.

Blair declared, "It was a good tackle, though!"

Connor laughed; she wasn't wrong. Finley was a good little athlete. "Where is our Finn? I could use that healing now... I m awfully dizzy."

Daniel embraced Finley, and calmly said, "Greg, go find your brother. Quickly." Greg dashed out of the doorway before Daniel finished speaking.

Connor murmured, "Finley?" He blinked a few times; he had difficulty focusing his eyes. "It's not your fault, buddy. I was playing too rough. Daniel told me the flowers were –" He heaved as if he was going to throw up again, but held it in. He took a haggard breath and finished his sentence, "He told me that they were poisonous."

Finley had a few tears in his eyes as he let go of Daniel; bits of stardust twinkled as the tears fell from his eyes. Candela walked with him as he cautiously approached Connor. "I didn't mean to hurt you. When I play in the City of Stars, th-this doesn't happen! I'm sorry!"

Connor gingerly poked Finley's nose. "It's okay, little guy." Connor's face was turning pale, and he was obviously in pain. Despite his own fear, he struggled to maintain his composure in front of the children; he didn't want to scare them.

Blair remarked, "You don't look so good, Mister Connor."

Connor smiled. "I bet." He blinked and said, "Oh, wow, this feels weird."

Candela held Connor's hand. "What?"

Connor laughed, "I just went numb. Everywhere. And I can't see right anymore."

Finley desperately grabbed Connor's other hand and said, "Please don't die, please." Some of the only spots on Finley without the poisonous flowers were on his palms, and he felt the need to touch the older boy.

Daniel sighed. "Guys, the poison will take longer than a few minutes to kill him. It's okay." He wasn't sure if that was true or not, but he hoped it was.

Connor giggled madly. "See? It won't kill me. This actually feels kinda nice."

Candela sat down next to him. She eyed him strangely. "Yeah, you'll be okay. You're a bad liar, though." Connor smiled nonchalantly.

Just at that moment, Greg ran into the room with Finn and Everett. "We're here!"

Finn darted over to Connor and said, "Connor!"

Connor giggled and said, "Hiya!"

Daniel whispered to Greg, "I think the poison is making him a bit… _loopy_."

Greg grimaced. "Uh, Finn. You know what to do."

Finn nodded. He put his hand on Connor's cheek tenderly and was surprised when Finley put his free hand on top of it. The two little boys locked eyes for a moment, a silent conversation taking place between them using only their eyes.

While they did that, Greg said, "Everett, go tell Romeo we've got everything under control back here, okay?"

Everett nodded happily. "Otay." Hide and seek was kinda dull anyways. He trotted out the door.

Finley bit his lip and nodded; Finn looked back at Connor and said, " _Vimanil._ " A look of concentration appeared on Finn's face, and a glowing golden ring appeared around his irises.

Connor groaned involuntarily; it felt like ice water was flowing through his veins. After a few seconds, his vision went back to normal, and he panted. "Thanks."

Finn smiled, and then stumbled backward; healing Connor had taken a lot of his energy. He landed on his butt, and Greg gasped, "Finn! Are you okay?" Finley fell to the floor as well.

The two blonde boys sprawled limply on the floor. As he panted tiredly, Finn stuttered out, "T-tired." Finn struggled to focus his vision; Connor must have been hurt much worse than it appeared.

Greg scooped Finn up, and Daniel grabbed Finley. Daniel asked, "You okay?"

Finley clenched his fists weakly. "Yes. I gave him some of my energy to help."

Blair eyed Connor. "I never saw anyone get poisoned before. Was it fun?" She poked his face, which had returned to its normal tan color, now.

Connor laughed. "Not, really, Blair."

Greg looked around at all the dead people. "This crossover is weird. C' mon, let's go back and see Romeo, guys." Greg helped Connor up with his free hand. Candela grabbed Connor's hand and held it tightly. Blair grabbed the other one. Blair liked Connor; he was fun to play with.

As they walked down the hallway, Daniel said, "I think I know why the children appeared to your little brother, Greg." He eyed the preschooler carefully. "He is a powerful healer."

Greg nodded. "Yeah." He looked at the tired boy in his arms, in awe at his powers.

* * *

 **Thirty minutes later,** everyone was hanging out in the main lab area. The boys had mostly recovered from their tiring experience healing Connor. The teens and Daniel stood next to the computer console, but over toward the other side of the room, the little ones were playing. Finley said, "Watch this, Finn!" He flipped and stood on his hands. "You try!"

Finn looked apprehensive. "What if I fall?"

Finley, still upside down, said, "You won't! Help him out, Candela and Blair!" Everett crawled next to Finley; the two of them made silly faces at each other while they waited for Finn to try a handstand.

Finn looked at the two girls and then took a breath. He put his hands to the ground and quickly maneuvered so that he was balancing on his hands. The boy grunted in concentration and then yelped as he started to fall. He closed his eyes tightly.

Candela and Blair caught his legs though and held him in place. Blair said, "Good job, Finn!"

Finn opened his eyes and laughed. Everything was upside down. It was funny to watch Finley put himself right-side-up again. Finn said, "Thanks!" He squealed with delight when his pajama shirt fell over his eyes and revealed his belly to the cold air in the lab.

Finley said, "I told you that you could do it!"

Candela poked his belly and said, "Gotcha!" He squirmed and laughed; he was ticklish there! Candela and Blair eyed each other. "Get him, Blair!"

The girls sat him down on his back and proceeded to tickle the boy. As they did, the teens and Daniel were having a more serious conversation. It froze for a second as they all turned to smile at the little ones laughing and playing nearby. Greg was the first one to break the lull in the conversation: "Alright, so. This is it, then." Finn screamed gleefully in the background as Everett joined in on the tickling.

Daniel nodded. "Yep."

Connor said, "Daniel, it's been nice meeting you." Connor shook the man's hand.

Amaya said, "It really has, yeah."

Daniel smiled at the teens as he finished shaking hands with Connor. "I'm just glad things seem a lot less… Stressful for you three in this universe. It's nice to know there's a place where things are like that. You've even befriended Romeo."

Romeo grinned and said, "Now, look. The children _may_ still be able to make it through to our universe."

Daniel raised an eyebrow and remarked, "I figured that was your plan. I think you've grown attached to one of them, hmm?" Daniel turned and looked at the children playing. Finn and Everett had changed places, and now it was Everett screaming and giggling as he was being tickled. Finley stood cautiously to the side; after the incident with Connor earlier, he had been extra careful not to poison any of the living people.

Romeo watched them playing and smiled. "Yeah."

Greg patted Daniel's shoulder and said, "Well." Greg hesitated.

Daniel turned toward him. "Hmm?"

Greg decided it wasn't awkward anymore; he hugged the man again, still taking care to avoid the flowers on his side. "Thanks, for everything, _Dad_. I'll keep your advice in mind."

Daniel was a bit surprised by the hug, but he quickly stopped caring about the surprise and just enjoyed the embrace. "I'm glad I could help out. It's been so great to see you." They held the hug.

Amaya and Connor smiled at each other, and Romeo walked toward the children. He whistled. "Hey, kids, come here!"

By the time the kids all scurried over, Greg and Daniel had finished their hug. Romeo sat down on the ground with the kids and said, "Alright, kiddos. The portal you used to get here is… well, it's hurting our universe. We're going to try and fix it, but you all must go back to your side of the Anomaly, first. Okay?"

Finley, who was rather smart for a boy of his apparent age, said, "Will we be able to come back and visit?"

Daniel sat down next to Candela and Finley. "Well, see, the way Romeo explains it, you should be able to come back. But I won't be able to come with you anymore."

Everett chimed in, next. "Will mister Macbeth be able to make it through?"

Romeo flatly said, "No." Everett shrugged and ran over to sit with Romeo.

Everett replied, "Oh," as he sat down with Romeo. He tapped his chin thoughtfully for a few seconds, and then said, "ehhhh… fuck him, I get to see a version of my Dad."

Romeo's jaw dropped a little bit at the profanity coming from the little redhead's mouth. He rearranged Everett in his lap and kissed him on the forehead. "I... I think I love you." He snuggled the toddler, and Everett chuckled happily.

Greg laughed. "Well, Romeo's heart just grew two sizes…" He looked around the room at the children. "So, anyway…Hopefully, you kids can come back and play with my Finn if this goes right… That is, uh, if you wanna come back?"

Candela, who was seated between Finley and Finn, said, "I like that!" She and Finn smiled at each other, and Candela leaned on the smaller boy's shoulder.

It took everything Greg had in him not to say how cute that was. Instead, he continued, "Just in case, we should all say goodbye."

Candela gave Finn a half-hug, so her flowers didn't hurt him. Blair walked over to Finley and Daniel and said her goodbyes. Everett stood up in Romeo's lap and quickly became emotional. Romeo hugged him tightly and said, "I talked to your Papa. He said we can come to see him in four hours. If you can still come through the portal, will you come back in a few hours? We're even going to bring along Finn, so just find him. Okay?"

Everett nodded. "Okay!" He moved his head away from Romeo's slightly and touched Romeo's lips with his fingers. "I love you, Dad."

Romeo smiled and touched the little one's lips with his own fingers. "You can come back and visit me anytime. I know I'm not your real Dad, but I promise… Well, I don't really know what to promise you, but you're _always_ welcome here. And Greg said you're always welcome to visit Finn, too." He struggled to keep his voice from trembling as he finished up, "Okay?"

Everett nodded again. "Okay. I'm gonna find Mackey and take a nap."

Romeo whispered, "I love you too, by the way. I'll see you again, that's what I promise."

Everett touched Romeo's cheek. "Bye, Daddy." _Whoosh._ Everett was gone.

Romeo put his hand on his cheek and struggled desperately to maintain his composure. He stood up and walked several feet away from the group with a sorrowful look in his eyes. He couldn't let any of them see him like this.

Connor and Greg were saying their own goodbyes. Greg said, "Finley, I'm glad I met you. You too, Candela and Blair. Come back and visit Finn anytime if you can still cross the portal, okay?" Finley smiled and took his hand away from Greg's hand.

Finley looked at Connor. "Bye, Connor. It was nice to see you. Sorry again." He put his hand on Connor's cheek gently.

Connor shrugged and comforted, "It's okay kiddo. We were just playing, and it got out of hand. No big deal." Finley smiled and moved over to Finn.

The two boys touched placed the palms of their hands together, and Finn said, "Bye Finley. Thanks for playin' wif me." They stared at each other's eyes intently.

Finley smiled. "Thanks for fixing Connor." Finn smiled in return. Finley moved his hands away from Finn's and then walked over to Daniel. "I'm ready."

Daniel said, "Alrighty. Candela, we'll be waiting for you on the other side." Candela nodded, and Daniel looked back at Connor. "If this does work, will you occasionally send us back news through the little ones? I'm curious to hear how everything turns out for you all."

Connor grinned. "Of course, we will." Daniel smiled and waved for a moment before he and Finley disappeared, leaving behind a cloud of sparkling stardust.

Next, Blair hugged Finn on the side and then moved over to do the same to Connor. She looked at Greg. "Want a hug?"

Greg nodded, "Sure."

Blair gave him a hug and then looked around for Candela. Candela had just hugged Amaya, so Blair walked over and said, "Seeya, Dela." She offered the bigger girl a high five.

Candela high fived her and said, "Seeya, Blair!"

Blair smiled and sweetly said, "Bye." She disappeared with a _whoosh,_ just like Everett had.

Candela looked at Connor next. He was the only one that she hadn't hugged. "Connor."

Connor got down on one knee. "Candela. It was so cool meeting you. It's neat that I have a sister in another universe."

Candela smiled and gave him a half hug carefully. "Try to be happy, okay? Follow your heart."

Connor raised an eyebrow. "Considering how you died, that's a funny thing to hear you say." He pointed at her chest.

Candela rolled her eyes and thumped his nose. "Oh, hush. You're not just gay in every universe, you're sassy, too."

Connor stuck out his tongue teasingly in reply. "I'll see you again. Come tell me more about your Connor some time. He sounds pretty cool."

Candela giggled. "He is pretty neat. See you, Connor." She looked at Finn next. "You're fun to play with, Finn."

Finn admired, "You got pretty flowers, Candela. Come back and play wif me, okay?" He had the slightest little blush.

Candela nodded. "I will. For now, time to go home." She waved and disappeared in a cloud of stardust, just as Daniel and Finley had.

Amaya sighed. "Well. That was weird."

Finn yelled, "It. Was. Awesome!" He bounced around madly.

Connor flatly observed, "He will sleep well tonight." Amaya chuckled.

Greg walked over to Romeo, who was still several feet away. "Romeo? You okay?" He walked to where he could see Romeo's face; tears were streaming from his eyes.

Romeo's voice trembled as he replied, "I don't know."

Greg patted the shorter boy's shoulder and said, "Need a hug?"

Romeo shook his head. "No." He took a breath and commanded, "Jarvis, activate program Romeo-one-nine-two."

The British AI replied, "Charging tachyon array."

Connor and Amaya looked at Romeo tensely. Would it work? Would they see the children from the other universe again? Greg consoled, "Romeo, if it means anything to you, I think you're going to be a good parent someday."

Romeo sobbed pitifully and took a few deep breaths before he turned around. He wiped his eyes and looked at Greg. Romeo stuttered out, "The funny thing is, I didn't know I wanted to be a parent until he left."

* * *

 **About four hours later,** Catboy sat on the roof of the building next to the entrance of Mystery Mountain. The cold outside seemed to intensify the feeling of silence around him. He stared intently at the crescent moon in the sky, deeply lost in his thoughts. The only indication he wasn't a statue, and the only sound he could hear was his warm breath becoming visible when he exhaled.

Finally, something else broke the silence. Catboy's ears twitched; it was something nearly inaudible, though. After a few seconds, he could hear that it was a whistling sound, like the wind blowing against someone's head. As it became louder, he waited until he knew it was right behind him. "Hi, Owlette."

Owlette landed next to him just as he said that. She smiled and said, "I wondered if you would hear me." Catboy grunted in reply, and never moved his eyes from where he was staring at the moon. When he was silent for a few seconds, Owlette mumbled, "Cold tonight, hm?"

Catboy replied, "Yep."

Owlette frowned. He'd been quiet for the last hour or so, and she was slightly worried. "Finn, Romeo, Everett, and Gekko will be here in a minute."

Catboy finally looked away from the moon. "Oh? Everett made it back?"

Owlette nodded. "Yep. Apparently, the plan worked. They'll be here in a few minutes. Gekko had to wake up Finn and get him dressed. It was too cold to just bring him here in his PJ's."

Catboy smiled lightly. "Cool." He remembered that Greg had spoken with Koozye earlier. Their animal totems were going to allow Finn to remember everything tonight.

Owlette nodded. "Yep." The silence resumed. After a few seconds, she'd had enough. "Is there something on your mind? You've been really quiet since we transformed an hour or two ago."

Catboy blinked and broke his concentration. "Oh? I guess I have." He cleared his throat. "I've just been thinking about Candela."

"Why?"

Catboy smiled. "I've just been wondering what it'd be like to have a sister. A twin sister, at that."

Owlette nodded. "I see. Any luck?"

Caboy sighed, and his tail twitched. "Kinda. I've always wondered what it'd be like to have a sibling. I mean, you and Greg are like siblings to me, I guess. Finn, too… But, you know what I mean? An actual sibling that I had to go home with every day. When it comes to you, Greg, and Finn, I'm able to leave you if you're making me angry or something. I… I don't know, my mind has just been wondering what it would have been like."

Owlette nodded quietly. "Wanna talk about it?"

Catboy's ears twitched. "Not now." Just then, Gekko, Romeo, Everett, and a tightly bundled up Finn _popped_ into view below. Everett was happily in Romeo's arms, and Finn was holding Gekko's hand.

Owlette said, "How did you–"

Catboy interrupted her, replying, "The teleporter remote makes a hushed _woosh_ sound before the people show up. I can just barely hear it when it's silent." Catboy jumped to the ground with a flip and landed with a roll. "Ready to go, guys?"

Romeo and Gekko were startled by Catboy's appearance. Owlett landed next, and Gekko looked at Romeo. Romeo said, "Well, I suppose so. I'd hate to keep him waiting…" Romeo looked at Everett. "You stay here with Greg and Finn." He nodded at Catboy.

Catboy nodded back and made the hand motions required to open the portal. As he did, Everett said, "I thought I was comin'."

As the portal to Mystery Mountain opened in the background, Romeo got down on one knee and shook his head. "Not yet. I have to go talk to Papa, first, okay? Grown up stuff."

Everett frowned. "You're not a grown-up, though."

Romeo's eye twitched, and he had to think for a second before replying, "Look, if you're gonna call _me_ Dad, then I am a grown up as far as you're concerned. Deal?"

Everett appeared unconvinced, but he sighed and said, "Fine." Owlette and Gekko snickered in the background.

Romeo walked toward the portal with a determined smile. "I bet Catboy and the gang will play with you and Finn, Evy! I'll be back in 10 minutes or less, hopefully."

* * *

 **About five minutes later,** Romeo stood near the start of the stairs leading up to Mystery Mountain, talking to Night Ninja. "So, yeah, that's the story."

Next to Night Ninja stood his second in command, Marvin. The two of them exchanged looks, and Marvin shrugged. Night Ninja looked back at Romeo. "Wait, wait, genetic engineering is actually a thing?"

Romeo nodded. "Yeah, it probably wouldn't be too hard for me to make our own version of Everett. Do you have a turkey baster and a kitchen timer I can borrow?" When Night Ninja eyed him strangely, Romeo said, "Look, you're missing the point. In the universe he's from, we're his parents, and he just wants to see you, even if you're not really his Papa. Do it for me, Nick, please. He's a sweet little boy, who died way too young. He deserves something, and he's excited to see you. Just… Come give him a hug? Please. You'll adore him."

Night Ninja sighed. "Show me his picture again?" Romeo took his smart phone out of his pocket and showed a picture of the red-headed toddler. "He does have some of my features… The curly hair, for one."

Romeo grumbled, "Will you come to see him or not, Nick? If you don't like it, I promise, I will never bug you with this again."

Night Ninja sighed. "Fine. But he comes _to me_ , and tell the PJ Masks to wait outside. I don't want them here for this."

Romeo sighed. "Why not? They're not that bad."

Night Ninja crossed his arms. With a stoic tone, he made it clear, "Because I said so. Do it or don't Romeo, I don't care which. I'd rather go home and go to bed."

Romeo grumbled and said, "Fine." He despised being reduced to running back and forth, but for Everett, he'd do it. He turned and walked away. "I'll be back."

Night Ninja shouted, "and we aren't staying long, it's cold as Hell!" Romeo raised an arm and flashed his middle finger back at Night Ninja. Night Ninja and Marvin chuckled as Romeo disappeared around the curve.

In a quiet voice, Marvin said, "You think he's really your kid, Nick?"

Night Ninja removed his mask, revealing he has curly red hair and a proud face of Asian descent. He dropped the arrogant tone he used around the other nighttime villains and sounded sincere when he said, "Possible. You never know with Romeo Mecano, Marvin. He's brilliant, but his plans tend to backfire or just be poorly thought through. It wouldn't surprise me if he opened some crazy ass portal that lets dead people through."

Marvin blinked. "Probably why he stopped trying to take over the world a few years ago."

Nick sighed. "I suppose… This multiple universes thing sounds weird, though." He scratched his head. "Romeo didn't like me making him play on my terms."

Marvin nodded, and Nick knew he was smiling beneath his mask. "You enjoyed that, didn't you?"

Nick smiled. "A little." He walked to the post by the stairway. He sat down his mask, then leaned on the cold rock and crossed his arms. "Do you think he's trying to deceive me?"

Marvin stared straight ahead along the path. "Romeo is too proud to take that ribbing you just gave him unless he's serious." He exhaled, and his breath was visible.

Nick nodded, saying, "I'm glad you picked up on that." Marvin grunted, and they stood there in silence. Waiting.

After a minute or so, in the distance, they heard someone running. A small child giggled, and Nick watched as the red and white haired boy from Romeo's phone ran around the bend in the road, followed closely by Romeo. They were both smiling and laughing, something Romeo rarely did so brazenly.

Marvin quietly said, "Want me to leave?"

Nick shook his head. "No." He sat up and watched as the boy approached him. He was slightly see-through, just as Romeo had said he would be.

As Everett approached, he said, "Papa!" He sprinted the rest of the distance between them and jumped onto Nick. "I missed you!"

"Oof!" Nick did his best not to smile at the enthusiasm of the small boy's hug. He was looking for reasons not to like this. "Uhm. Hi, Everett."

Marvin observed, "He's definitely an agile little fellow." His voice lightened up a bit.

Romeo panted tiredly as he approached. "Yeah… Just like… His Papa." He pointed at Nick.

Everett's head popped up from its spot on Nick's shoulder, and he looked at Marvin. "Uncle Marvin?"

Marvin looked around. "Me?" Everett nodded. "How'd you know? I still have my mask on."

"'Cause you sound like Marvin, silly!"

Nick laughed at the boy's confident little voice. "What do you know about Marvin?"

Everett squinted in concentration. "He's your brother. And he likes water guns!" Nick looked at Marvin with a smile. Everett continued, "Oh, and he don't like werewolfs, 'cause one time he got–"

Marvin cut him off quickly. "AHEM, uh, yeah, he knows me, alright." Romeo laughed in the background.

Nick looked at Everett more closely. "You do look a lot like me, huh?"

Everett smiled and poked Nick's nose. "Pandora says I got your curly hair and your face, and Dad's white hair and attitude." He stuck his tongue out.

Nick stuck his tongue out back. "I guess so, huh?"

Everett slowly enunciated, "I'm genetically engineered."

Nick nodded, "Yeah, definitely Romeo's kid." Everett smiled, and Marvin walked over and poked the boy's side. He squealed.

Marvin said, "Ticklish, huh?" Everett nodded.

Nick said, "Well, here, you play with Marvin for a bit, Everett. I'm gonna talk to Romeo." Nick handed the kid to Marvin, and they walked away.

Romeo was smiling wide. "I told you that you'd adore him." Everett giggled in the background as he and Marvin talked.

Nick glared at him and said, "Oh, shut up." He sighed and scratched his ear. "Look, sorry. Just… When did you say he would visit?"

Romeo said, "I dunno. He apparently lives with his universe's version of the grim reaper?"

Nick raised an eyebrow. "So… Just whenever he can get away, I suppose?" Romeo nodded, and Nick continued, "Well, let me know when he visits you from now on… I think I like the runt."

"Sure." Romeo snickered. "You're a big softie at heart, huh?"

Nick rolled his eyes. "For Everett, not you, science boy. Say that again, and I'll throw you in a pond like I did Catboy the other week." He walked over toward Everett and Marvin.

Romeo stood there, smiling. He had been worried this wouldn't turn out well. Instead, it looked like Nick liked the toddler, too. Maybe there was a reason that Romeo and Nick got together in Everett's universe. As he watched him play with the toddler and Marvin, it suddenly occurred to Romeo that the thought of ending up with Nick didn't make him feel sick anymore.

* * *

 **AUTHOR NOTE:**

 _I have had SO MUCH FUN writing this crossover arc. Dapple and Luka both helped me a lot with their characters and had lots of nice things to say about my writing. Thanks, y'all!  
_ **  
This concludes the exciting crossover! But, for once, Romeo's plan worked, so we can expect to see Blair, Candela, Everett, and Finley appear "on camera" in the future (although, maybe with smaller roles). Thanks for reading! ;)**


	23. Dust in the Wind

**Everett** belongs to and is © by lukas-circus on Tumblr; all rights for him are reserved to Luka! If you wanna learn more about Luka's stories, check them out over on wattpad, where Luka is lukas-circus.

Special thanks also go to my beta reader, ItIsShad0w for his own brief review of this chapter. Thanks, bud.

 **WARNING: strong language ahead. Reader discretion is advised.**

 _This chapter is dedicated to Uncle Bill. I miss ya, old guy._

Of note, I'm trying a new way of separating sections in my chapters, called an asterism. It looks like this: ⁂. :) I will still use horizontal lines to separate out author notes at the beginning and end of chapters!

* * *

 **About a week later,** Greg walked to the front door in his house. It was early on a December afternoon; they had just gotten out of school for the semester yesterday, and Greg was enjoying having the house to himself without Finn there. The doorbell rang again, and he said, "Hold your horses, geez!" When Greg opened the door, there stood Connor in the chilly outside air. He was dressed up in a black suit with a white button-up shirt, a black tie, and black slacks. "Well, look at you. What's up with… _that._ " He gestured at the suit.

Connor was wholly unamused. "I came over to tell you I'm not going to the basketball game tonight."

Greg pouted and said, "Step inside? It's cold out there." Connor sighed and stepped inside, and Greg added, "Why not?" He shut the door.

Connor sighed. "I don't wanna talk about it. Just… Will you go over and feed Juliet for us before you leave for the game tonight? We're gonna be gone pretty late tonight, and I didn't want her to be hungry."

Greg nodded and examined the pained look on Connor's face. He finally said, "Did someone die? Are you going to a funeral?"

Connor blinked. With a firm voice, he rebuked, " _I said_ I didn't wanna talk about it, Greg!" His demeanor quickly softened, and he gave Greg a hug. "Thank you for feeding Juliet. I love you. Now I gotta go, okay?"

Greg replied, "I love you, too, buddy. Will you tell me what happened tomorrow?"

Connor broke the hug and turned back toward the door. "I'll try."

Greg said, "I'm still gonna go to the basketball game, though. I'll see if Romeo and Amaya wanna go instead."

Without turning around, Connor replied, "Okay. Bye." He opened the door and quickly walked outside and hopped off the porch.

Greg weakly said, "Bye." He walked out onto his porch and watched as Connor walked across their yards and to his driveway. He got into a car, and apparently his parents had been waiting because the car quickly pulled out and went on its way down the road.

Greg sighed and went back inside. He took his phone out of his pocket and dialed Amaya's number. He put the phone to his ear, and when she answered, he said, "Hey. Can I come over?" Pause. "Alright, I gotta get dressed, but I'll be over in like 5 minutes. Call Romeo while you're waiting and tell him he's hanging out with us tonight."

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 **A few hours later, at the local high school,** Greg walked into a gymnasium where a boys' basketball game was already in progress, followed by Romeo and Amaya. The bleachers weren't completely full, but there were enough people there that it was loud with crowd noise and the squeak of shoes on the court. Romeo didn't look too happy to be along for this trip, but Amaya seemed pleased to be walking next to him. They turned and walked up the bleachers, to an empty spot. Greg crunched on the popcorn he was carrying as he gestured for Amaya and Romeo to sit down before him.

Amaya went in first, followed by Romeo. The crowd went wild when the home team scored a three-point basket; Greg joined in cheering as he took his seat on nearest to the walkway. Amaya said, "I still cannot believe you didn't ask Connor anything else before he left, Greg." She took a nacho from the tray of nachos with cheese sitting on her lap.

Greg finished chewing on his popcorn, and it was clear Romeo was having second thoughts about sitting between them. Greg swallowed and said, "See, Amaya, that's one of the spots where you fuck up with Connor almost every time. When he asks me to leave him alone, and I try once to get him to talk to me about whatever it is he's holding back, I stop. Besides, he was in a hurry."

Amaya scoffed, "What do you mean? If we don't know what's wrong with him, how can we help?" Romeo sat back a little bit and leaned on the empty spot behind them. He wanted to not be in the exact middle of this.

Greg laughed, "Amaya, you've known him since you were 4. Come on." He took a bite of popcorn and continued, "Connor isn't that kind of boy. He has to figure out his feelings at least a little bit before he can talk about things. Just, give him a day or so. Let him sleep on it."

Amaya sighed. She has had this talk with Greg before, and she knows he's right. "Look, fine, but it really pisses me off that he's like that, sometimes."

Romeo said, "H-hey, so… Not to interrupt this _friendly_ conversation, but uh, I have no idea what's going on in this stupid basketball thing." He laughed tensely. "Will one of you tell me?"

Greg smiled and said, "Yeah, sure. Alright, you see the guy with the ball? He's on the other team, and he needs to get it in our team's basket, right? But he's gotta follow some rules while he does it, obviously." Romeo nodded along as Greg explained the basics of basketball.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 **In his mom's car,** Connor's head hit the window he was leaning on, and he jolted awake. He rubbed his head and said, "Owww..."

Connor's dad, Tim, softly said, "Hey, you woke up just in time." Connor looked around the car; he was in the back seat, his dad was driving now, and his mom was sitting in the front passenger seat.

Connor groaned and said, "How long was I out? Last I remember, Mom was driving."

Hazel said, "You've been out about two hours, kiddo."

Connor said, "Oh. Why did I wake up just in time? What's that mean?"

As he slowed the car and turned the wheel, Tim said, "Because, we're here."

Connor looked out the window; they'd pulled into a little chapel in a small town. He read the sign.

"We are honored to serve the family and friends of Mrs. Vivian Lynn Jameson."

Connor sighed, and a wave of sadness washed over him. "I can't believe she's dead. We just came to visit her last month." Mrs. Jameson had been Tim, Hazel, and Connor's friend since Connor was very young; he used to play with her cat all the time before she moved away a few years back.

Hazel consoled, "It happens, kiddo. Elderly people die." She sighed. "Are you sure you can handle being a pallbearer?" Tim and Hazel were close friends with the elderly woman. They still came to visit her sometimes in the town where she had moved. It was like Mrs. Jameson was one of Connor's grandparents.

Connor unbuckled as Tim parked the car. "I mean… All Dad and I just have to help carry the casket, right?"

Tim looked back at the boy. "You make it sound easier than it is. It's more than just physical weight, son. When I carried your grandpa's casket was one of the most intense experiences of my life. Are you sure?"

Connor looked ahead blankly. "I owe it to her, Dad. Her son said she asked for me to help do it in her last will." Tim reached into the back of the car and grabbed Connor's hand with a solemn smile. Connor's voice trembled as he said, "I gotta do this last thing for her, Dad."

Tim's look was equal parts proud and sad. "Then we're going to be two of the best pallbearers that there can be, son."

Connor nodded solemnly.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 **Back at the basketball game,** they'd been there nearly half an hour when Amaya said, "Greg, did you hear Romeo? Greg!"

Greg snapped out of his trance and said, "Huh?"

Amaya's mouth hung open a little. "Were you _staring_ at that basketball player boy down there?"

Greg's eyes widened, "Uh, n-n-no! I was, uh, I was zoned out! I was looking straight through him!"

Amaya put her hand over her mouth, exclaiming, "Greg Edmonds, you had the same look you used to have when you looked at Mandy. You think he's attractive!"

Greg's face was already turning red. He quietly said, "Can we not yell, please?"

Romeo coughed, and said, "Hey. Uh, hi, Romeo here. I had a question, remember?"

Greg mumbled, "What, Romeo?"

"How much longer are we gonna be here?"

Greg sighed. "I dunno, it's barely 4, dude. This game is halfway over, but there's two more after it."

Romeo groaned and said, "You know, I _begged_ you guys not to make me go. I'm just gonna be bored the whole rest of the time."

Greg quickly replied, "Yeah, but you woulda sat in your lab crying about Everett all day otherwise."

Romeo quietly said, "I..." He pouted and looked at Amaya, hoping for some support.

Amaya shrugged. "He's not wrong. Gotta take your mind off it, dude."

Romeo crossed his arms. "I cry in my room sometimes, too. Screw y'all."

Amaya said, "Well, fine, whatever. You're 13, Romeo, way too young to have a kid. You gotta accept that."

Romeo raised his voice a bit, "BUT, he's mine! He's my baby!"

Greg put a hand on the boy's shoulder and said, "Lower your voice, dude." Romeo sighed and pouted again. Greg looked around to make sure nobody was listening in on them, and then quietly said, "I know you're confused and all, but he is _not_ your kid, Romeo. He is some other Romeo's kid, not yours. Get a grip, dude. Be his friend, even be his dad when he visits you, but other than that, you _can't_ keep doing this to yourself."

Romeo said, "B-but, I feel so…" He sniffled. "He's just a baby, and he's _dead_. For no reason." Tears were beginning to form.

Amaya quietly said, "Greg, go, we can't let him do this in front of everyone in here."

"Oh, dammit… Come on, Romeo." Greg grabbed Romeo's arm, and quickly drug the boy down the bleachers, and out of the gymnasium, followed closely by Amaya. Greg found a little bench inside next to the entrance into the high school. Romeo was crying by now. They sat down, and Greg said, "Dude, what's your major malfunction?"

Romeo clutched onto Greg and sobbed. "Did I tell you how he died?"

Greg hugged the boy and replied, "I… yeah, you did. Why?" He looked over at Amaya; she looked just as concerned as Greg felt.

Romeo sobbed for a few moments, and choked out, "It's just like Ralphie. It was senseless. And somewhere, in Evy's universe, his Romeo felt the same way I did when Ralphie died, and it just _hurts_ so bad to think about it."

Greg patted the boy's shoulder. "Oh, man, I didn't know you… were comparing him to Ralphie." Greg gently ran his fingers through Romeo's hair, unsure of how to comfort him.

Amaya inquired, "Romeo, why didn't you tell us?"

Romeo shot back, "For the same reasons as Connor! I needed a fucking minute."

Amaya's mouth hung open. "Well, excuse me."

Greg frowned. "Amaya, this is not the time."

Amaya gritted her teeth. Why was everyone doing their best to piss her off today? "Fine, you're right, but ugh, Romeo, you gotta stop snapping at me."

Romeo nodded. "I'm sorry."

Greg sighed. "Alright, look, let's take this freakshow back to Romeo's lab or something, you two can make up there. That way I won't be seen in the middle of it if one of you explodes. Christ."

Amaya sighed and reached into the pocket on Romeo's jacket and drew out the Transporter Remote. "Come on, we gotta go where nobody will see us..."

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 **Seven hours later,** Connor walked into his room at his house, threw his smartphone on the bed, and took off his dress attire, tiredly hanging the suit coat up and folding the pants nicely. When he was done, he pulled on some shorts and flopped on his bed. Even after a three-hour car ride home, he was still numb from the funeral.

He looked at the clock on his nightstand. 11:37. Connor sighed and grabbed his phone. He typed a message to Greg:

 _I'm coming over when I wake up in the morning. I don't feel okay. :/_

He sent the message and plugged in the phone before hauling himself off the bed and turning the lights off. He laid down again and mumbled, "What a lousy way to start off winter break."

And he started the process of falling asleep.


	24. Confident

Special thanks go to my beta reader, ItIsShad0w for his own brief review of this chapter. Thanks, bud.

 **WARNING: strong language and discussion of human sexuality** **(sometimes it gets a bit intense!)** **ahead. Reader discretion is advised.**

PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW ON THIS ONE! I really wanna know how I did on this one! lol.

Of note, I'm trying a new way of separating sections in my chapters, called an asterism. It looks like this: ⁂. :) I will still use horizontal lines to separate out author notes at the beginning and end of chapters!

 **ONE LAST THING: SERIOUSLY. Take the warning seriously this chapter. This is going to get a bit intense. Consider yourself warned!**

* * *

The next morning, Greg awoke to someone climbing into bed behind him. Without opening his eyes, or even moving, he groaned, "Finn? Is that you?"

His eyes shot open when a teenager's voice replied, "No." Greg spun around and found Connor, dressed in his blue PJs, sliding under the covers next to him. "Before you freak out, please just shut up. Just… Can we cuddle?" Tears were forming in his eyes.

Greg nodded. "I mean…" He scratched his head tiredly. "Do you wanna be big spoon?"

Connor's voice cracked when he said, "What do you think?" He took a breath and laid on his side. He was struggling to keep himself together.

Greg pouted and scooted up behind Connor, and Connor took his spot as the little spoon. "Sorry, I, uh, literally just woke up. How'd you get here?" The clock said 5AM.

Connor mumbled, "I know where your spare house key is. My Mom was up getting ready for work, and I told her where I was going… She said she'd call your mom and tell her when she left for work..."

Greg tiredly said, "Dude… Did you sleep at all?"

Connor shook his head. He was glad they were cuddling in a way where Greg couldn't see his face. He was starting to cry. _Finally._ He'd been trying to do this all night. "I tried."

Greg sighed. "Connor, dude…. I… Who died, man?"

Connor sobbed and said, "Mrs. Jameson."

Greg winced. "Oh." No wonder Connor was short with him yesterday; Connor loved that woman like a grandparent. "I'm so sorry." Greg combed his fingers through Connor's hair. Why were his friends all crying on him lately? And about dead people, jeez.

"Me too." Connor cried openly now. "I'm sorry, I can't hold it in anymore."

"Who said you have to hold it in, Connor? Let it all out." Greg kept playing with Connor's hair with one hand. With his lower arm, he slid it underneath Connor and held onto the older boy and rubbed his chest. "Gonna have to treat you like Finn, huh. Coming to big brother for cuddles when you're sad."

Connor laughed through his tears. "Just… shut up and keep playing with my hair." He sobbed. "It feels great."

Greg halfway smiled. "I don't wanna shut up…" In a soothing voice, he said, "Will you try to sleep when you've let it all out? We'll talk in a few hours when we get up… Finn still has preschool, so he'll leave before we're up." He'd never seen Connor this upset.

Connor stuttered out, "Okay."

Greg snapped his fingers. "I know a way to chill you out. I'll be right back."

Connor said, "Huh?" But Greg quickly dashed out of the room before he could react. Connor sat up, confused, and feeling cold. He sat there and cried pitifully, letting all of the floodgates open. He was glad to finally be letting all of it out.

After a few minutes, Greg returned with a glass of water. "This works on Finn, and I think it'd work on you, too." Connor was an absolute mess. "Oh man, you need a tissue, too. First, here, sip some water, okay? I'll be right back."

Greg ran out of the room again once Connor took the water, and Connor sipped on it between sobs. Surprisingly, by the time Greg returned with a box of tissues, the water was sorta helping.

Greg said, "Here, trade with me." Greg took the water and handed him a few tissues. "Blow your nose."

As Connor blew his nose on the tissues, Greg sat the tissue box down and grabbed the small trash can he kept in his room. He held it in front of Connor, "Here, throw 'em away."

Connor threw out the used tissues, and Greg handed him back the water. "More water, Connor. Gotta stay hydrated." He sat the trash can down.

Connor sipped at the water and watched Greg with a sort of admiration. He took a few deep breaths. "You're…" Sob. "such a good friend."

Greg smiled and shut the door to his room. He grabbed another tissue before sitting next to Connor. "Between Finn and Romeo, I've had some practice."

"Huh?"

Greg sighed. "Oh, Romeo freaked the fuck out last night, too. And Finn is 4, so he cries a lot… and he's scared of the dark, so he always just comes to my room instead of mom and dad."

Connor took one last sip of the cold water; he felt a lot better. He sat the glass on the nightstand and said, "How'd you know that would help?"

Greg halfway smiled. "I read it online once after Finn pulled a stunt like this. I tried it on him, too, it helped a lot. I don't know why. Here, let's clean you up." He used the spare tissue to dab around Connor's eyes, and Connor laughed at the absurdity.

"Stop itttt."

Greg said, "Nope, gotta clean you up!" He finished dabbing at Connor's other cheek and sat the tissue down on the nightstand. He beamed happily. "There, that's a lot better."

Connor tried to resist smiling back. He locked eyes with Greg and whispered, "You're so cute when you're in big brother mode."

Greg's smile turned into a tired grin. "Thanks?" He felt his face turning red. "Feel better? Ready to try sleeping again?"

Connor nodded. "Yeah. I needed to let it out… and I'm exhausted." He yawned and flopped back down on the bed on Greg's pillow. It smelled like Greg, and Connor liked that a lot.

Greg moved him over a bit and laid down next to him. "Still wanna cuddle?"

Connor mumbled, "Yessss. Will you play with my hair some more? It felt so good."

Greg spooned up next to Connor. "Sure, dude. We can play video games and talk later." He used one arm to play with Connor's hair. "I can tell Amaya to kiss my ass while we're at it."

Connor giggled tiredly. "Whyyy?" Despite all of the anguish he let out a minute ago, he felt so comfortable right now. Maybe it was the exhaustion?

"Because she thought I was wrong when I said sometimes it's best to leave you alone."

Connor tiredly whispered out, "Pshhht. She should know better."

Greg nodded. "She really should." He swirled a part of Connor's bangs in his hand.

After several seconds of that, Connor grabbed Greg's hand and held it to his chest. "Goodnight, Greggy."

Greg smiled sadly behind Connor. The boy must have been exhausted. "Goodnight, bud. It's all gonna be okay." Thoughts of how he was going to deal with his sad friend when they woke up occupied his mind.

It took Greg several minutes to calm back down from the excitement, but he fell asleep before long.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

The boys woke up and had a late breakfast about five hours later. As Greg sat across the table, messing with something on his smartphone, Connor finally was awake enough to say, "Hey."

Greg turned and looked at Connor. The brunette boy's hair was messy, and the sun streaming in through the window gave him a certain glow. "Yeah?"

Connor yawned and propped his head on his hand. "I'm gonna go jogging and clear my head. When I get back, can we cuddle and play video games?"

Greg put down the plate he was washing and said, "Sure. Can I come with you?"

Connor said, "Are you sure? I don't want you to come along and bug me about my feelings or some crap."

Greg quickly replied, "Dude, I just wanna go. Not to chaperone you, I just… wanna be with you. I missed you at the basketball game yesterday. Amaya and Romeo are drama queens." His heart rate increased a little.

Connor raised an eyebrow and replied, "Alright, but it's cold as balls out there."

Greg quipped, "That's okay."

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

Forty-five minutes later, Greg gleefully shouted, "YESSSSS," through his exhaustion as they rounded the corner back onto their road. Greg could see his house now. "I thought…" Pant. "Swim team was brutal." Greg seemed like he was dying. On the upside, Connor was feeling a lot better today. "But this is nuts."

Connor cheerfully said, "You did pretty good until a minute or two ago." Connor slowed down to let Greg catch up. Greg finally stopped, and Connor rolled his eyes. He jogged back to the younger boy. "You gonna live?" They were both wrapped up tightly in the cold, but not too tightly.

Greg stood there, panting, bent over with his hands on his knees. The cold air stung his lungs. "I think I'll live." He stood up tiredly. "Can we walk… the rest of the way?"

Connor laughed. "I suppose." Greg walked alongside Connor, admiring the cute beanie he was wearing.

"Thanks." After a few seconds, Greg grabbed one of Connor's hands and swung it back and forth exaggeratedly as they walked.

Connor raised an eyebrow. "Really?" Greg nodded, still breathing a bit harder than he would normally. Connor snickered, and let Greg hold his hand. He liked the fact that the boy's hand was still so warm, despite the near-freezing temperature.

Greg made a sly grin for a second when Connor didn't pull away from him. He maintained his act of being dead tired until they were closer to his house. He finally said, "So… Feeling better?"

Connor sighed. "You know, I am. I guess… I let it all out this morning. I knew she probably wasn't going to live much longer, but I still wasn't prepared, I suppose."

Greg let go of Connor's hand and wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulder. "These things happen, y' know?"

Connor put his arm around Greg's shoulders in return, and sighed, "Yeah… I'll be okay, I guess." They quietly turned and walked up to Greg's house. It was silent until they got to the porch. "So, wanna play Mortal Kombat when we're both cleaned up?"

Greg sweetly said, "Sure."

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

A few hours later, it was the mid-afternoon, and Connor was pretty much back to normal. The boys sitting on the bed in Greg's room, where Greg was concentrating hard on a match on the screen. He idly said, "Amaya told me you've been thinkin' about Rider a lot, huh?" Music was playing from a playlist on Greg's little wireless speaker.

Connor smashed a few buttons as he said, "Yeah. You need to think about why… I'm kicking… your ass! HA!" Connor scored a combo, and Greg cursed. After a few moments, Connor asked, "Why you ask?"

Greg blew air through his lips in a quick sigh and said, "Pshhh." Pause. "I dunno. What kind of thoughts?"

Connor quietly said, "I mean… Do you really wanna know?"

Greg nodded, letting his attention on the game waver a bit. "Sure."

"I wanna kiss him," Connor said bluntly. He caught Greg off guard and did some significant damage to his character.

"Cool and dammit!" Greg let himself go sluggish for a moment.

Connor took the bait and finished Greg's character off! "Ha! Take that, lizard boy!"

Greg snapped his fingers and said, "Darn, you got me!"

Connor stuck his tongue out teasingly, and Greg playfully added, "Oh yeah? Bet you can't beat me, kitten boy!"

Greg tackled Connor, and they screamed and shouted gleefully as they wrestled. A minute or two in, _Fly Me to the Moon_ by Claire came on the speaker, and Greg finally managed to pin Connor down by sitting on the older boy and holding down his arms. "I win!"

Connor squirmed and shouted defiantly, but finally stopped wiggling just as the singer on the speaker belted out, " _Fly me to the moon…"_

Connor said, "Yeah, I guess you did." Their eyes locked, and something unusual seemed to spark between them. "I really like this song. I didn't know you'd heard it before" He smiled softly.

"Y-yeah, I heard it at your house once. I really liked it." Greg blushed a little as he looked at Connor's face; that smile made Greg's knees weak; he couldn't stand it anymore. He stopped pinning Connor's arms to the bed, and raised one of his hands to Connor's cheek and looked into the older boy's eyes. "I'm going to t-t-try something." He sat on Connor's lap and pulled the taller boy upright. Fuck, he didn't think this through completely. The thought, _"What would Mandy do?"_ ran through his mind repetitively.

Connor's heart rate shot through the roof, faster than it was already moving. He wasn't sure why, but something intense was about to happen. "G-Greg, what are you–"

Greg put his finger on Connor's lips and softly murmured, " _Please,_ don't think about it just… take a deep breath and hold my hand, okay?" A nervous excitement ran through Greg's body as he put one hand on Connor's back and brought their faces closer together; he'd figured out what to do, now. He wrapped his legs around Connor's torso, and Connor couldn't speak; Greg never acted this way. The blonde boy grabbed one of his hands and held Connor's hand delicately.

The singer was still going: _"In other words, darling: kiss meee."_

Connor's eyes went wide when he felt Greg's hot breath on his skin as he whispered, "If one of us doesn't like it, we'll never speak of it again. Okay?" Connor blinked, and nodded, overwhelmingly curious to see what his best friend was about to do. He took a breath when Greg tilted his head a bit and leaned in closer. Connor figured out what was happening just in time to pucker his lips a little, and it felt like a jolt of electricity went through Connor when their lips met. His heart raced even harder than it already was, and fireworks went off in his brain as all rational thought went haywire.

It felt so much better than he had imagined it would, and they're just pressing their lips together. Holy shit.

Greg was enjoying himself, too. He brought his hand up from Connor's back and traced it along Connor's neck as they held the kiss; pleasureful chills ran through Connor's entire body. His hand continued upward, and he played with Connor's hair lightly. Greg's lips felt a little chapped, but they were so strong, too. Connor felt himself melting in the boy's grasp. Greg's legs around his torso felt so right.

Connor finally had to push himself away. He gasped for air and blurted out, "Holyfuckingshit!"

Greg laughed, and loosely replied, "Your lips are so different from Mandy's, damn."

Connor looked at him with his mouth hanging open. He took a few seconds to regain his composure and said, "C-can we do it again?"

Greg laughed. "You start this time, kitty boy." Pause. "If you wanna try something else, bite my lip a lit– _oof!"_

Connor interrupted Greg by grabbing him and laying back down with Greg on top of him. They situated their legs and Connor brought their lips together this time, taking Greg's bottom lip between his own. This felt so right.

Greg was surprised at Connor's bravado for a moment, but he quickly realized the older boy's supreme confidence was taking over. He's not a bad kisser, but Greg grabbed Connor's hands, which were holding still. He pulled back from Connor's mouth and said, "Use your hands. Put 'em on my back or something." Greg was coping with this kissing thing a lot better than Connor. "Got it?"

Connor nodded with an animalistic look and grabbed Greg's bottom. He was losing himself.

Greg smiled, "Good. My turn." Greg bit Connor's lip and this time they swapped back and forth a bit as they went, each enjoying the other's little sounds and unique motions.

After a minute, Connor broke the kiss and gasped for air again. Greg rolled off him and laughed, "Connor, you've gotta breathe, dude. With your nose. And that first bite really fucking hurt."

Connor laughed finally. "Okay, mister bossy. It's…" He panted for a second. "My first time. Oh, my God."

Greg said, "Hey, I'm trying to help. I had the same problem when Mandy and I made out, I had to work on it some." He punched Connor's arm lightly. "You're really fucking gay, you know that?"

Connor quickly shot back, "Yeah, no shit. Heh. What does that make you?" He was still swimming in euphoria. His best friend was his first kiss.

The song was almost over, "… _in other words… I love youuuu…"_

Greg rolled over and sat up, facing Connor. Greg felt pretty good, too, and he had to think about it for a second. "I don't know. I don't care. All I know is that it was hot and I liked it a lot. I'm glad you were the first boy I kissed."

Connor stayed flat on his back and asked, "Is making out different?"

Greg teased, "Hell yeah. Wanna try it?" Connor nodded eagerly. Greg laughed. "You're like a kid in a candy shop." He finished laughing and instructed, "Sit up."

The song finally went off, and the trumpets at the beginning of Demi Lovato's _Confident_ started playing. Connor bit his lip and said, "Did you make a fucking playlist to make out with me or something? Jeez, this is so perfect."

Greg winked. "Maybe I did, lover boy." Greg grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and continued in a soft tone, "What're you going to do about it?"

Connor's eyes widened. He had momentarily forgotten about that whole tongue thing. "Does it feel weird?"

Greg was in control, and he knew it. "Just follow my lead, okay? Don't bite me or I'll break your nose. Open your lips a little. Yeah, just like that, good! You're going to be a good kisser one day," he complimented tenderly, as his mouth met Connor's again.

The speaker sang with Demi's powerful voice, _"I'm the boss right now."_

Connor knew Greg was in control here, too, and letting Greg have that control set his heart to racing again. After a few seconds, Greg's tongue entered his mouth, and it wasn't gross. No, this felt good. Connor's body took over a bit, and his tongue coyly played around. Connor's heart wasn't quite thumping, but it had been more like a swishy feeling in his chest, a mixture of excitement and fear. He finally knew what it was, now, and relished the combination of the emotions as Greg twirled his hair.

Just as Connor figured it out, though, he remembered, his hands are supposed to be doing something, too. Crap, this is complicated! Connor brought one hand up to Greg's cheek, and Connor let his friend take over for what seemed like forever.

Greg started to lose himself now. He breathed out through his nose and broke the kiss to take a breath in and whisper, "Not bad, Kitty." He pecked at Connor's lips again. "Be a bit more forceful, come on… Be _Confident._ "

The song continued, " _I used to hold my freak back."_

Connor watched starstruck as Greg, the object of his passions, closed his eyes and sang along with the next line, " _Now, I'm letting go…_ "

Connor gruffly grabbed Greg's head and pulled him closer, and this time, he was the one to use his tongue first. The boys lost themselves in the passion of the moment, and Greg grabbed Connor's butt possessively.

Connor ran his hands over Greg's hair, grasping for a way to be closer to him. Greg playfully smacked Connor's butt, and the two of them laughed into the kiss. They exchanged breath somehow, and that was a new feeling for both of them.

But they both froze when they heard a small voice say, "Oh fuck." Their eyes darted over to find Finn standing in the doorway with his mouth open.

Everything was silent as the song kept going, _"… What's wrong with being confident?"_

Linda appeared behind him, saying "Finn H. Edmonds, absolutely not!" She looked up to see Greg and Connor with their tongues still down each other's throats. She was in such utter shock that all she could say was, "Oh."

Greg and Connor shot apart, and they were both already turning red with embarrassment. Finn looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.

Linda said, "I… have got to deal with him… You two… Just… Learn to close doors." She grabbed Finn and said, "We do NOT use that language." She went to shut the door and stopped short of closing it. "I'm sorry if we interrupted… something special."

Both of the boys' hair was pretty badly messed up, and Greg stammered out, "I-i-i-it's okay."

Linda shut the door, obviously disappointed she and Finn had interrupted them. Connor looked over at Greg and said, "Do you think she's...?"

Greg shook his head and said, "N-no… Dad even just told me he's okay if I'm… not... uh, if I was not straight the other day..."

Connor waved a hand at him and said, "Then why are you freaking out?"

Greg blurted out, " _Where did Finn learn that word?!_ "

* * *

 _Author note: did I mention that you should leave a review? ;) Even if it's just "WOW! NICE!" or something like that lol. Thanks!_


	25. Experimenting

Candela belongs to dappled-catboy and Everett belongs to reveries-shadow (AKA lukas-circus). Check out their blogs to learn more! :)

Thanks to my Beta-reader, and co-writer for this chapter, ItIsShadow for his review and his help writing a special scene in this chapter! Love ya, bud.

Of note, I'm trying a new way of separating sections in my chapters, called an asterism. It looks like this: ⁂. :) I will still use horizontal lines to separate out author notes at the beginning and end of chapters!

 **WARNING: strong language and discussion of human sexuality (sometimes a bit intense!) ahead. Reader discretion is advised.**

The boys sat on the bed, in silence; Greg had turned off the music a minute ago. Connor was laying back with his head on Greg's chest and Connor was idly running his fingers over Greg's hands. The boys were content. The energy from a few minutes ago had slipped away from them, and they were left in a thick mixture of emotions and diminishing physical urges. Connor looked at Greg and said, "So."

Greg smiled at the blue-eyed boy laying on his chest. "Yeah..."

Connor mumbled, "That was… Intense." He brought Greg's hand to his mouth and kissed it lightly before hugging it close to his chest.

Greg quietly replied, "Yeah. I..." He paused and gently guided Connor's head upward with his free hand. Once Connor had sat up enough, their eyes met for several seconds. "Again... But softer."

And Greg kissed him again. This time without the raw emotions from earlier; just a simple, tender exploration of each other's mouths. They made small noises back and forth as their tongues prodded around. It was easier to focus on the feelings, the tastes, and the smells; they were all much more comfortable to explore this time. Greg quickly realized that Connor tasted sweet.

Greg broke the kiss after several seconds and hugged Connor close to him. The intense, passionate feelings from earlier were coming back, but Greg fought them off for a few seconds before saying, "Connor."

Connor had Greg's arms around him, and his head was beside and in front of Greg's head. Without looking, he replied, "Yeah?"

"I'm not… uh." He swallowed; his mouth had started to dry out. He eked out, "I'm not straight… Am I?" Acknowledging it felt scary. Greg had that thought a few times in the last few weeks, but here he was, having just finished making out with his best friend. And it felt so good.

Connor moved his foot up and down Greg's leg, and replied, "I mean… Did you enjoy what we just did?"

"A lot more than I thought I would, yeah." Pause. Greg moved a hand, and Connor shivered as Greg traced one of his fingers along his ear, and he felt the boy's warm breath as he whispered in his ear, "D-did you enjoy it? Finally getting to kiss a boy?"

Connor gently replied, "Yes. My first kiss was my best friend. And you were so tender and sweet to me." He turned and looked at Greg, "Are you okay?"

A confused look had settled into Greg's eyes. "Yes, I… Just, have been looking at boys since that one night with Ryan and Kevin while you were at the hospital and I… Wanted to see if I liked kissing a boy, and I knew you've been thinking about Rider a lot."

Connor sat up and said, "You sound like the one who needs cuddles, now." Connor laid back on the pillow next to Greg and beckoned to him. Greg looked apprehensive; he was giving up his control of the situation that he had earlier if he did that. Connor motioned again, and Greg laid over on the boy's chest. "Why are you feeling weird?"

"My mom just walked in on me making out with you. I-I-I've gotta tell her something."

Connor ran his hand through Greg's hair. "I mean. Do you still like girls?" Greg nodded. "And… You like boys?" Connor nervously waited until Greg nodded. "Well, I mean, uh… Does bisexual sound like a good term?" Connor was having flashbacks to the talk he had with Waysa back when he was in the coma.

Greg nervously said, "Yes."

Connor kept on messing with Greg's hair. "Can I ask you something?" Greg nodded. "Are we… an item, now?" His heart swished around again, like a fish swimming through the sea.

Greg sighed. "I mean… I'd rather be your friend. I know you're crushing on Rider." Pause. "Maybe go try things out with him?"

Connor nodded and felt relieved. He was scared to date Greg, for some reason. "Okay."

Greg sat up; Connor listened anxiously as Greg added, "Maybe we can try it one day?"

Connor smiled. "Yeah. I like that idea."

Greg smiled back and looked away. "I'm sort of scared to talk to my mom."

Connor laughed. "Really? Where's that boy who kissed me 10 minutes ago to a song he planned out ahead of time?"

Greg felt himself blushing. "I did do that, didn't I? I mean, I had a plan with that."

Connor rolled his eyes, "Come on, dude. Just… Be confident. You gotta talk to her about it anyway!"

Greg smiled again. "Will you hold my hand?"

Connor grabbed Greg's hand and smiled. "Dude, you don't even have to ask me. I've got you."

Greg sighed. "God, you're going to make me do this right now, aren't you?"

Connor nodded. "Might as well. Then we can come back upstairs and find out where Finn learned that swear word."

Greg's eyes focused suddenly. "You won't let me go ask him first? He's probably crying in his room. No way he didn't get a spanking for that one."

Connor shook his head. "No way, Lizard Boy. Gotta go come out to your mom, first."

Greg stood up quickly; he was on a mission, now. "Let's do it, then."

As he descended the stairs, Greg felt his heart pounding so hard in his chest it ought to explode. Holding his hand, Connor whispered in Greg's ear, "It'll be okay, Greggy, I promise."

Linda's head perked up at the slight groans the stairs gave off as the boys collectively strode down them. She paused the television, watching the door for the moment they'd walk in. When they did, she said, "Heya Greg, Connor. Everything okay?" She asked, wanting to get the first word in.

"I-um," Greg started, "I wanna talk to you about, well, what happened earlier."

"What I walked in on?" Linda questioned, not thinking much of what happened, but nonetheless happy to talk about it.

"Y-yeah, um," Greg kept on stuttering, but Connor being there, and his mum not blowing up, helped to calm him down. "I think…, I think I might be bisexual."

Giggling, Linda responded, "Yeah, I had guessed that much, dear! Honestly, though, I don't have a problem with it, just like I don't have a problem with Connor being gay. I'm sure your dad won't have a problem either."

"Uh, okay. T-thanks, momma. I love you," Greg mumbled, still feeling quite funny about the whole conversation.

"I love you too, sweetie," Linda ended with a smile, and she looked back at the television show she was watching.

Greg and Connor walked upstairs towards Finn's room. Connor said, "See? Wasn't that difficult, was it?"

Greg was still feeling woozy from the experience. He hadn't thought that the afternoon could turn out this way, but he was glad it did. He held Connor's hand and said, "I guess you're right." At least he wouldn't have to worry about getting caught now.

As they walked through the hallway on the second floor, Connor taunted, "You hadn't planned out that part, huh?"

Greg looked over at Connor. Greg admitted, "I was just thinking that same thing." Connor smirked, and Greg let go of Connor's hand with a laugh and knocked on Finn's door. "Finny! Can we come in?" Silence. He knocked again. "Finn!" After a few seconds, Greg raised his eyebrow and exchanged a concerned look with Connor. He opened the door. "Finn?"

The preschooler was laying on his bed. Greg walked over toward him and saw that Finn's eyes were glowing golden through his eyelids. He poked the preschooler. "What in the world? Dude, look at his eyes."

Connor examined him and said, "He's still breathing."

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

Finn looked around Connor's house. He'd been here for a few minutes, but he wasn't sure why or how he'd gotten here. He walked into Connor's room, finally, and saw a large, shimmering blue cat sitting on the bed. "Juliet?"

The cat's tail twitched. With a gruff male voice, it said, " _No_." Pause. "What are you doing here, small one?"

Finn's mouth hung open. "YOU TALK!"

Waysa winced at the loud noise. "Yes, I talk." He stood up and jumped off the bed, strutting toward Finn. "Why are you here, child?"

Finn suddenly felt scared. The cat was as long as he was tall and looked muscular. "I don't know." He took a breath. "I was in trouble and layin' on my bed, and wanted to run away and use the swing set in Connor's back yard…"

Waysa paced around him and said, "You've been here many times, but this is the first time you neglected to bring your body with you." Waysa stopped in front of him and gazed at the boy. "Are you aware of that?"

Finn looked at his hands, and, for the first time, noticed they were slightly see-through. "But I still have a body?" He reached toward Waysa, to touch the cat.

Waysa batted Finn's hand away gently with a paw and hissed, causing the 4-year-old to spring away from the cat. "I did not give you permission to touch me, _Sparky._ " He licked the paw gently. "It is rude to touch another person's spirit animal without asking permission from the spirit."

Finn blinked and frightfully said, "Oh. I'm sorry mister… what's your name? I'm Finn."

The cat gazed at Finn, and once he finished cleaning his paw, replied, "I am Waysa. And you do not have your body with you, despite what it appears, Finn. You are here as a bare soul."

There was a bright green flash, and a giant green lizard appeared in the room nearby. With a strong female voice, the lizard shouted, "Waysa! Did you just attack him?"

Finn looked on amazed at the shimmering green lizard as Waysa replied, "It was only a warning strike. I did not use my claws."

The lizard glared at Waysa. "He is just a child, Waysa. This is his first Soul Walk! Must you always be so harsh?"

Waysa sat down and licked his other paw. After a few moments, he replied, "This kitten is not my responsibility to teach, Lizard. There are rules he must follow, and it is your job to teach him, not mine."

Finn heard a voice yell his name, "Finny!" He looked around for the source of the sound, but couldn't find it.

The lizard glared at Waysa for a few moments. "If you ever strike him again, I will retaliate, _cat_." Waysa twitched his tail at the threat and bared his teeth at Koozye for a few moments before disappearing from the room in a blue flash. Koozye looked over to Finn, and she seemed friendly. "Hello, Finn. I am Ogehàwashkoozye – your big brother's spirit animal." She stepped over to him. "I am called Koozye, though. You may touch me if you wish."

Finn nervously said, "H-hi." He was a bit scared now. "What's happening?"

Koozye replied, "Nothing scary, little one. You are Soul Walking; it is an extraordinary power. Your spirit animal is inexperienced with the Soul Walk, so I am to be your mentor." She padded over to him, her claws making a _clacking_ sound against the floor. "Your body is still at home, in your bed. Your soul has left it behind so you can explore the world, as your mind desired. No ordinary humans can see you in this form."

Finn looked at the Lizard's green eyes; they looked a lot like Greg's eyes. "Why?"

The disembodied voice sounded again, "Finn, wake up!" He looked around frantically.

Koozye stepped toward him. "I will explain it all later. For now, you must go home. Greg and Connor are trying to wake you." She blinked and continued. "Tell Greg that Koozye said hello, okay? He will know what it means."

Finn nodded. "O-okay." He was scared. Why was this happening to him?

Koozye said, "The next time you Soul Walk, I will be there, little one. For now, awaken." She tapped Finn's leg with her claw, and the world flashed around him.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

Greg stood over Finn with a concerned look. He said, "This has got to have something to do with his eyes glowing. Maybe we should ask Kooz–"

Finn's eyes snapped open, and he jerked upright, startling Connor and Greg; they both jumped away with a yelp. Like a possessed person, he took a deep breath and blankly looked at the two teenagers with a ghastly smile. "Koozye says hello, Greggy." His irises were still shining bright gold like a lightbulb was behind them.

Greg and Connor were holding onto each other, both terrified of the child – was Thunderbird back? Greg's heart was in his throat. He weakly stuttered out, "Wh-what?"

Finn rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times. His eyes were no longer glowing, and his voice was much more relaxed. "Koozye. She said for me to say hi to you."

Greg and Connor shared a confused look before they cautiously let go of each other. Greg said, "I… how did…. No, no, just… Where were you at, Finn?"

"I was at Connor's house." Finn yawned and stretched. "There was a mean cat there. He glowed blue. And my hands were see-through." He looked at his hands and was pleased to see that they were back to normal.

Connor raised an eyebrow. "What was his name? Waysa?"

Finn nodded, and Greg said, "Wait, wait. Did you meet Koozye–a big glowing green lizard? And Waysa?"

Finn nodded again. "Yeah. Koozye was nice. She's going to be my teacher."

Connor said, "Teacher of what?"

Finn shrugged. "She called it Soul Walking."

Greg bit his lip, thinking deeply. "I… So, it's a power… and she told you to tell me hello?" Finn nodded. Greg looked at Connor. "Koozye probably wants me to contact her about it then…"

Connor nodded. "Yeah. I'll have to ask Waysa why he was so mean, too."

They all stood there quietly for a moment. Finn looked like he wanted to say something. After several seconds, he blurted out, "Why was you two kissin'? Connor got your cooties, now, Greg." The little boy was genuinely concerned.

Greg sighed, and Connor laughed madly. "Finn, the cooties are not real, we have talked about this."

Finn shook his head, "Connor said you lied because you was embarrassed!"

Connor's laughter redoubled, and Greg grumbled, "Connor, I swear to God. Tell him now."

Connor finally stopped laughing and sat down on the bed next to Finn. "Okay, Finn, buddy. Look, the cooties aren't real."

Finn looked ready to cry. "Are you sure?"

Connor nodded. "I'm sure, kiddo. I told you a lie. I'm sorry." Connor hugged him and got popped with static electricity when he touched the little one.

Finn quietly rebuked, "That was mean. Lying isn't nice, Connor."

Greg snapped, "HA! I told you, Connor! He hates it when people lie to him. You should've told him months ago that it was a joke."

Connor pouted. He hadn't thought this far ahead. "Look, Finn, I know. Won't happen again. Now, Greg has a question." He turned the preschooler around and sat him in his lap.

Greg eyed Finn. "Where did you learn that bad word you said earlier? I know it wasn't Connor or me."

Finn looked around; it was his turn to feel shameful now. He mumbled something.

Greg said, "huh? Who?"

"Everett and Candela…"

Connor looked at Greg with a slight smile. "No surprise, there. Everett is Romeo's kid."

Greg agreed, "Yeah, and Candela is related to you, even if it's an alternate universe you." Before Connor had a chance to be offended by that implication, Greg looked at Finn and said, "Well, you listen here, Finn. You tell Everett and Candela that GREG said you're not allowed to use curse words and they don't need to teach you any other curse words either. Understand?"

Finn nodded with a pout. "Okay…"

Greg smiled. "Now, come on. Do you wanna play a game with us? I've got some news for you while we're at it."

Finn nodded and jumped out of Connor's lap. "Okay! Uh, what is _news_?"

Connor laughed, and Greg sighed, explaining, "News is when something… _new_ happens, and people tell you about it. Anyways, the news is, I like boys and girls now."

As they walked, Finn said, "Oh, like Connor?"

Connor added, "Not quite. I only like boys."

When they got to Greg's room, Finn said, "Okay, whatever." He dashed over to the controllers on Greg's bed and grabbed one. "Who wants to get their butt kicked first?"

Greg and Connor eyed each other. "That was a lot easier than coming out to Mom was," Greg remarked.

Connor smiled. "I call first dibs, Finn."


	26. Latent Image

I'm back!

Thanks to my Beta-reader, and co-writer for this chapter, ItIsShadow for his review and his help writing a special scene in this chapter! Love ya, bud.

Of note, I'm trying a new way of separating sections in my chapters, called an asterism. It looks like this: ⁂. :) I will still use horizontal lines to separate out author notes at the beginning and end of chapters!

* * *

 **Three weeks later,** Christmas had come and gone, New Year's Eve was in a couple days, and the Jenolan was nearly ready to launch. Things seemed to have gone back to normal. Greg paced around in the bridge of the _SS-Jenolan_ as Amaya spoke to Romeo over the comm system. "Romeo, I read fusion core is at 99.8 million kelvins, confirm?"

Over the comm system, Romeo's voice replied, "Confirmed. Fusion core is at 99.8 megakelvins and reaction pressure is reading 69 exapascals; both numbers are rising, and we are on track to hit critical in about 25 minutes. I could use your help down here to monitor the magnetic field variance. The last little bit before critical is going to be tricky to manage." Pause, and Romeo chuckled, "Sixty-nine, hah."

Amaya rolled her eyes and walked toward the ladder. "Romeo, you're gross." She continued, "But, I'll be right down anyways. Jarvis, keep an eye on the magnetic interlocks for me!"

Jarvis, the AI, replied, "As you wish."

Greg sighed, and Amaya stopped and looked at him. "Wanna come with me?"

Greg shook his head, "Not really. Can I just come and sit down on deck two? This is more boring than I thought it would be." He had come to watch them bring the fusion core online, thinking it would be exciting. They were about thirty minutes in, and nothing remotely interesting had happened yet.

Amaya nodded. "Sure. I told you to bring a book." She climbed down the ladder, and Greg followed her down to the deck below. She got off the ladder and kept going down another ladder nearby. "Have a seat at the console with the big screen. We managed to get basic cable in here the other day. Or I can send you home with the transporter if you want."

Greg replied, "Eh, I'll sit down and talk to Koozye. She promised me more info on Finn last week, and I'm gonna try to get her to tell me more about this Soul Walk thing."

Amaya nodded as Greg walked over to the chair. As she descended the ladder, her voice faded as she called out, "All right, I'll be on deck 3 with Romeo. The ship might rumble at some point, but don't worry! We have everything under control!"

Greg sat down and sighed. He looked at his bracelet; there was a small button on the side. He usually didn't use this method of contacting Koozye, but this would be a difficult place to meditate. He touched the button, and the bracelet glowed neon green as he closed his eyes; everything went white around him.

He appeared in a shimmering white plane, and a giant green lizard stood before him. It was Koozye. "Good afternoon, Greg," she greeted.

With a friendly grin, Greg said, "Hi, Koozye." He sighed. "You know why I'm here. You promised."

Koozye burst into green smoke and appeared as a smaller lizard. "What you ask isn't easy." She crawled up his leg and eventually came to rest on his shoulder. "Have I ever told you about souls?" Greg shook his head. Koozye's tone became tired, and she continued, "Then, I should take you on your own soul walk. Your body is safe, right?"

Greg thought for a few seconds. "Amaya told me not to worry. I trust her."

"Very well. You do not have a gift for this as Finn does, so this might hurt."

Greg said, "How so?"

Koozye flatly replied, "I am going to rip your soul from your body. It won't hurt for long, but it will be very disorienting, and you will probably feel a strange ache for a few days afterward. Are you sure you want to do it?"

Greg took a breath and nodded. "Okay, if this is what it takes…"

Koozye added, "It will hurt much less the second time, though." Pause. "I will count to five. Ready?" Greg nodded again and gritted his teeth. "One… Two… Three..." And then there was a sound like a dry tree branch being snapped.

Agony flooded every fiber of Greg's being, and everything went blank for a few seconds, though to Greg, it felt like an eternity. The pain stopped as suddenly as it started, though. He felt lighter than before; he blurted out, "You tricked me!" He looked around and saw they were at Finn's preschool. But in the room with the little babies. "Uhm. Why are we here?"

Koozye said, "They cannot see you. Now, look at the little ones." Greg looked at one of the infants crawling in the room. Koozye commanded, "Blink."

Greg blinked, and a glimmering white light enveloped the girl, not much bigger than the infant itself. Greg said, "What is that?"

"That is her soul, Greg. Well, at least, it is how you can perceive them with your mind, anyway. There are more nuanced aspects that you cannot see." Greg looked around at the other children, and then to one of the teachers. The teacher's soul was significantly bigger than the children's' souls were, but the teacher's soul wasn't colored white; the teacher's soul was an indigo color, and not quite as shiny.

"As you can see, the souls of infants are rather small. Humans start off with very pure souls, but they are very fragile in turn. Your soul is bigger than any normal human's is though, because your powers as Gekko enhance your soul's growth while keeping it pure. It is tied to why you have manifested new powers as you've aged."

Greg looked in a mirror nearby and could still see himself. "Why can't I see my soul?"

Koozye chuckled. "Your soul is too bright and large. It would drown out all the smaller souls around us. So, I have hidden yours for now."

A teacher walked through Greg, and he shuddered. "That felt weird."

Koozye chuckled. "As it should." _Pop!_ They reappeared in a theater and Greg couldn't see souls anymore. There was practice for a play occurring onstage. "As you observed, the average adult's soul is about the size of a car. Powerful, as far as normal humans go. Would you like to see Connor's soul, next? His is of comparable size to yours. Maybe slightly bigger, but he is older than you, so that's normal."

Greg blinked and found Connor onstage. "This is his play? Can we watch the rehearsal for a second, first?"

Koozye laughed outright. "Sure."

They watched as Rider and Connor stood together on stage, surrounded by various extras and a few other more official looking people. Behind Rider and Connor, everyone was in chains and seated on the ground looking miserable, including them.

One of the actors opposite Rider and Connor held open a scroll and declared, "I bring a message from your master... Marcus Licinius Crassus... commander of Italy. By command of his most merciful excellency, your lives are to be spared. Slaves you were... and slaves you remain." Chains rattled among the prisoners. "But the terrible penalty of crucifixion has been set aside on the single condition that you identify the body or the living person of the slave called Spartacus."

Rider, who was playing Spartacus, looked around tensely; the stage was silent except for the rattling of chains and the groans of the wounded slaves. Rider started to stand up, but Connor darted up first. With an unflinching look, he cried out, _"I am Spartacus!"_ Rider's expression turned horrified as more and more of the slaves stood behind him and repeated Connor's words. His face turned from horror to one of bleak acceptance shortly after, though. They would all perish.

The director yelled, "Cut!" She was sitting in the audience in front of Greg, and said, "I'm going to crucify all of you because I believed every word of it, ladies and gentlemen! Absolutely excellent!" She pointed at Connor and Rider, "Antoninus and Spartacus? Excellent work, boys. Caesar? Absolutely fabulous. Well done all, well done. Now, let's set up for…"

As the director continued shouting, Koozye said, "Now, would you like to see Connor's soul?" Greg nodded, entranced by the rehearsal. Koozye said, "Blink."

He blinked, and a massive, dazzlingly blue ball obscured the entire stage. It was so bright that Greg had to shield his eyes slightly. "Holy crap!"

Koozye chuckled. "And you kids wonder how we keep an eye on you. It's fairly easy to locate you." _Pop._ This time, Greg saw the playground at Finn's preschool, where his little brother's class was playing happily. "Now, Finn's soul is odd. Your souls didn't start to grow faster than normal until you were able to transform, but Finn? I've watched him since he was born, Greg. His soul has always grown quickly. But recently, he suddenly gained a massive amount of power."

Greg's eyes located Finn. He was darting around the playground in a game of tag with one of the girls. "Can I see it?"

Koozye simply replied, "Blink."

Greg blinked and yelped at the sight in front of him. "Damn!" He covered his eyes to shield himself from the intense light; the soul was obviously smaller than Connor's, though. Despite that, Finn's soul shined like the sun, but with a pure metallic golden color. "Was he always so bright?"

Koozye said, "No. That happened last week. I'm not sure why, but a strange energy follows your brother around, Greg. It always has, almost as if in anticipation of… _something._ It is quite the enigma."

Greg finally completely shielded his eyes. "What does it mean?"

Koozye was quiet for several moments but finally admitted, "I am unsure. All I know for sure is that he is, without doubt, the most powerful 4-year-old I have ever encountered in the millennia that I've been alive. On top of that, he is young, and much of his soul's connection to the physical body has yet to fully form, so it was easy for him to leave his body. He did it again last week without any of you noticing." _Pop._ They were back in the dull white place they started out in.

Greg scratched his head and sat down on the ground. Koozye skittered down from his shoulder, and a flash of green smoke concealed her transformation back into her standard, large form. Greg hugged his knees to his chest and said, "So… It's not dangerous?" This was a lot to absorb all at once.

Koozye swung her head to look at Greg. "Not at all. To the contrary, he learns very quickly. I taught him how to return to his body from anywhere he might end up exploring, and how to avoid Waysa's scorn. He will likely explore the world with his body much more than he will with his soul. The body experiences many sensations that the soul alone does not… As you have no doubt noticed."

Greg nodded. "Yeah, this is weird. I feel… Weightless." He felt like he was floating; it was as if his entire being could be swept away into the ether at any moment.

Koozye chortled and rested a claw on Greg's leg. "You will get used to it. Tell me if you wish to learn how to do this. Connor and Amaya cannot do this at all, but with some further instruction, I _can_ teach you. The skill is one that runs in your family line."

Greg tapped his chin. "Will it hurt like that did? Because that was the worst pain that I've ever experienced."

Koozye walked away from Greg. "It will not hurt as much the next time. To use a metaphor, the first time involves ripping certain roots your soul forms in your body. The roots aren't necessary, but they do form as a person ages."

Greg nodded. "Well… Maybe we'll see about that later. For now, I'm ready to go back, so can you… y'know, put my soul back?"

Koozye made an amused grunt, and said, "Yes, child. Have a good night." _Pop!_

Everything faded away, and Greg felt a weight pressing upon him; his eyes snapped open. He was aboard the _Jenolan_ again. He took a breath and felt the ache Koozye had mentioned. "Owwww…." His entire body ached.

It took him just a few seconds of him thinking to decide to he just wanted to go home, now. "Jarvis, hey! Is the transporter over here ready?"

The AI replied, "Yes, sir. Would you like to go somewhere?"

Greg stood up from the chair and lightly walked over to the lit-up pad; even his joints had a dull ache. He commanded, "Send me to my house, inside my room, Jarvis. Tell Amaya and Romeo I will talk to them tomorrow."

"As you wish. Have a nice evening."

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 **Soon after,** Connor's rehearsal ended, and he found himself walking home alongside Rider. They were idly talking about the rehearsal.

Connor remarked, "So, rehearsals for the scene where you kiss Lily are on the schedule for next week. Excited?"

Rider sighed. "I mean, sorta? Lily is cute, but I don't know her that well. And here she is playing my wife in a play…" Rider sipped from the water bottle he was carrying. "It's sorta awkward to kiss someone you don't know that well."

Connor rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah right. I see the way you look at her and smile when she's not looking."

Rider's face was already turning red from the icy cold wind blowing on them. "I mean, sure, she's attractive, but… Wait, how do you know I'm watching her?"

Connor's eyes widened. "Uh, I notice things! I'm really observant." He was lying; he was watching Rider the same way Rider was watching Lily.

Rider rolled his eyes. "Whatever. If you must know, uh… Well, first, can you keep a secret?"

In reply, Connor thought, _you don't know I'm gay, right?_ He said, "Of course, dude."

Rider put his hand on his head awkwardly. "I've never kissed anyone before."

Connor smiled slightly. Why did he find that cute? He blurted out, "Really? But you're so handsome, dude. I bet half the girls at school want you." He immediately regretted saying that, what if Rider caught on? Rider looked away, obviously embarrassed. After a few seconds of silence from Rider, Connor shakily, added, "Well, I have kissed someone before... I could uh, give you some tips… If you want?" In his thoughts, Connor found himself thinking, _Or I could show you how sometime, hottie._ He blushed lightly at the thought.

Rider looked back at him and said, "You have? Who?"

Connor quickly shot back, "None of your business, mister." He stuck out his tongue.

Rider rolled his eyes. "Well, fine. Maybe you can give me your tips sometime, Prince Charming." He stopped as they approached Connor's street, where they usually parted ways. "Look, changing the subject: my mom said I could have a friend sleep over on New Year's Eve. Wanna come? Uh, we're having a party, and it's always fun to be at my house for New Year's…"

Connor could barely suppress his excitement at the offer; instead, he tapped his chin nonchalantly. "Well, I don't know... What kind of party?"

Rider laughed nervously, "Look, you don't have to come over if you don't wanna. It's just my family and a few of my parents' friends. My big brother always brings his wife, and my big sister is having her boyfriend over for the party this year. I just wanted someone to come over and hang out with _me_ , and with you and I leading in the play together, we've hung out a lot lately, and you're one of my better friends… I guess…" Rider was actually blushing; he looked away awkwardly. "You don't have to come."

 _Shit FUCK, I wasn't trying to hurt his feelings._ Connor quickly shot back, "No, no, it's not like that! I was just… Sometimes I don't think before I speak, okay? I'd love to come over." Connor tried to hold his enthusiasm down just a bit. "Want me to bring any food or a board game or something?" Connor's heart swished around in his chest like it did when he and Greg kissed earlier this month.

Rider looked up at Connor with a relieved look. "Okay! Awesome, I thought you were gonna say no… Uhm... Don't worry about bringing anything aside from your toothbrush and stuff? OH, but do bring along some warm pajamas, though. My room stays super cold at night during the winter." Pause, and he grinned. "This is great, I finally get to have a friend over for New Year's Eve!" He pumped his arm excitedly.

Connor's heart melted at Rider's grin; he was so gay for this boy that if he had actually hurt his feelings a moment ago, he might as well have broken his own heart. "Sure, dude. Bring myself and some warm PJ's, can do. What time?"

Rider quickly replied, "Whenever you want. Get there by 6 that night, though, cause that's when we eat. Then we start playing games around 7:30 or so, usually." Rider grabbed Connor's forearm, like the handshake their characters in the play do. "Thanks for coming, dude, it's gonna be awesome. We're gonna kick ass when the games start."

Connor weakly grabbed Rider back before the boy grabbed him in a half-hug. Connor laughed, despite his heart racing frantically in his throat. "N-no problem dude."

Rider let him go and said, "Alright, I gotta get home, dude. Seeya at the party on Saturday?" Connor nodded. But Rider snapped his fingers. "By the way, are you cool to sleep in my bed with me? It's big enough for both of us! If not, that's okay, my mom and I will find the cot we have in the attic, and you can have my bed."

Connor mumbled, "Sleeping in bed with you sounds… Okay with me. You're not too weird." He made a convincing grin. Connor's knees felt weak. _Oh my God, I cannot believe this is happening right now._

Rider grinned and patted Connor on the shoulder and said, "Alright, seeya then." He looked both ways and jogged across the street excitedly, yelling, "This is awesome!"

Connor waved, and shouted out, "Seeya Saturday, Rider!" Connor turned and walked down his street toward his house. He used one hand to pinch his cheek, checking if he was asleep or something. Nope, he was awake, and this was the most epic thing ever. "Holy shit."

So many thoughts raced through Connor's mind. Was Rider flirting with him? No way, Rider's gotta be straight, he'd just talked about thinking Lily was cute. Connor continued thinking rapidly as he walked home. "I've gotta tell Greg. Maybe he can give me some tips…"


	27. The Final Frontier

Thanks to my Beta-reader, ItIsShadow, for his review of this chapter! Love ya, bud.

Chapter 26 marked my 60th chapter of PJ Masks Fanfiction! :)

Of note, I'm trying a new way of separating sections in my chapters, called an asterism. It looks like this: ⁂. :) I will still use horizontal lines to separate out author notes at the beginning and end of chapters!

This chapter is short, but it's necessary for the story. xD

* * *

The next night, in Romeo's lab, the room which held the massive _Jenolan_ was changing fast. The roof was opening, giving a clear view of the stars in the dark room. Something that looked like steam billowed from the bottom of the spaceship and with a thunderous clicking sound, the floor began to raise the ship up, and out of the chamber it was housed in.

Inside, Romeo paced around the bridge of the _Jenolan_ and looked at a checklist in his hand. "Amaya, close all exterior hatches and clear all moorings. Swap to internal power. Greg, initialize port and starboard thrusters and enable the invisibility field. Don't want anyone seeing the 120-foot-tall spaceship in my back yard."

Greg and Amaya both sat at consoles in front of Romeo. All of them were wearing spacesuits tonight. Amaya spoke first, "Computer reports all hatches sealed and…" The lights flickered slightly, and she continued, "Swapping to internal power is successful. Clearing all moorings." A bassy boom rattled the ship, and Amaya smiled. "We are clear of all moorings and running on our own power."

Greg called back, "Invisibility field is in place. The elevator will be done moving us in 30 seconds. Aaaand, the EM drive's thrusters are in standby mode. Chemical thrusters are coming online now, too."

Romeo grinned. "Excellent. Amaya, standby impulse power." Amaya typed commands hurriedly as Romeo jogged over to a console and stood at it, typing quickly. "Standing by to increase deuterium injection rate on the fusion core. The driver coils are configured for orbital insertion."

Amaya read something on her console. "Greg, initialize deflector field and standby for computer handover of flight controls."

Greg stuck his tongue out as he tapped at the console. "Got it. I've got two escape vectors programmed just in case."

Romeo grinned. "We won't need the escape vectors, Greg. The _Jenolan_ will fly." He was quiet for a moment, pleased with himself. "Set purge gas to internal supply. Verify life support functionality." Greg and Amaya carried out the commands and verified they were successful. Romeo took a breath. He had worked so hard to get to this point.

"Romeo, fuel tank sensors report we are at optimal fuel pressurization for the chemical rockets. And," the ship rocked gently. "The elevator is done."

Amaya said, "Priming inertial dampers and activating artificial gravity field."

Romeo called out, "Jarvis, are we forgetting anything?"

Jarvis, the AI, replied, "Negative. Primary flight controls are now under computer control, and I have confirmed they are operating within the programmed parameters, sir."

Romeo said, "Open a comm line to PJ Masks HQ." The comm line clicked. "Catboy, you there?"

Catboy's voice came over the line, "This is Catboy, I read you. You guys ready over there?"

Romeo replied, "Yeah, ready as ever. Are you ready?"

Catboy was silent for a few seconds, aside from mumbling to himself. "Uh… Yes! PJ Robot and Atom have my back, and PJ Masks HQ is ready to launch at any second if needed."

"Good." Romeo looked around and took a deep breath before sitting down and strapping himself in. "Jarvis, initiate the 30-second countdown." The three of them exchanged wry smiles.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 **Just a few minutes later,** it was done. Greg flipped a few switches and said, "The EM Drive is offline." The humming sound they had heard for the past few minutes died out. "Jarvis, how bad off was that?"

Jarvis said, "We are within acceptable variance on the _Jenolan's_ orbit. Shall I use the lateral thrusters to correct our orbit?"

Greg looked at Romeo. Romeo leaned back in his chair; that was intense. Romeo nodded. "Yes, Jarvis, initiate orbital correction maneuvers. Transfer helm control 100% to the computer."

Jarvis replied, "Yes, Master."

Amaya took off her helmet and called, "Catboy, this is Amaya!"

Over the comm, he replied, "Catboy here."

Amaya said, "You can stand down at HQ. All is well, and we've made it into orbit safely."

"Congrats, guys. PJ Masks HQ is standing down."

Greg and Romeo took off their helmets as well, and they all cheered. Romeo stood up and said, "Greg, show us the Earth on the big screen. Amaya route it down to Catboy, let him see what he's missing."

Greg pulled up the view from an exterior camera, and Romeo smiled widely. They had done it. The _Jenolan_ was in space.

Over the comm, Catboy said, "Wow, that's awesome!"

Romeo smiled. Now, it was almost time to complete the mission. "Jarvis, set us up for orbital intercept of the Anomaly. Nice and gentle, just like you and I discussed before, okay?"

Jarvis quipped back, "Yes, sir. The necessary adjustments to approach the Anomaly will necessitate two days for the intercept of the phenomenon."

Catboy asked over the comm, "Why so long?"

Amaya answered, "Romeo and I have to transport aboard a good deal of equipment so that we can catch the Anomaly. This gives us time to transport it all up here and set things up."

Romeo grinned and added, "Yeah, but first, we're going to Greg's house and celebrating."

Amaya cocked an eyebrow at him and replied, "What?"

Greg exclaimed, "My mom is makin' chicken and waffles!"

Over the Comm, Catboy said, "Oh, awesome! Y'all get back here, let's go. Linda kicks ass with that meal."

Romeo laughed as they walked over to the transporter pad. "Jarvis, keep the shields up and power at Level 2. Amaya and I will be back later."

Romeo stopped and gazed at the Earth on the viewscreen for a moment. "Space... _The Final Frontier._ "

Amaya clapped him on the shoulder with a smile. "We did it."


	28. New Year's Eve

yo... Y'all leave me some reviews? I know you're reading, lol.

Thanks to my Beta-reader, ItIsShadow! Love ya, bud.

 **WARNING: DRUG USE, strong language, and scenes depicting sexuality ahead. Reader discretion is advised.**

Did you notice the DRUG USE warning? Remember, readers, this is an act of complete fiction. You should not try drugs and expect similar results. The drug my characters are taking is fictional and has side effects almost nothing like an actual drug. Real drugs are dangerous, and I must encourage you to avoid them at all costs.

* * *

Connor had his backpack on as he strode towards Rider's house. Greg walked alongside him, laughing. "Connor, you'll do fine. I don't know why you're so nervous. It's Rider for goodness sake. He's always been kinda shy. You know that."

Connor sighed. "But what if he _was_ hitting on me?"

Greg shot back, "Then, he has good taste, and you should keep your eyes peeled for him to make a move tonight. Use that confident personality of yours to the fullest. Else, you're just at his house to have fun at the party. Enjoy it!"

Connor scratched his head. "Oh, fine." They approached Rider's driveway, and Connor stopped. "Thanks for walking with me."

Greg patted him on the shoulder. "No problem, playboy." Greg wagged a finger at Connor, admonishing, "Remember, if you two kiss, don't start with tongue."

Connor was quiet for a second; his face was turning red. He quietly replied, "Greg, stop. You're getting me… y'know…"

Greg burst out laughing. "No shit?"

Connor thumped Greg on the nose with a horrified look. "Boy, you are loud as hell, hush!" He looked around to see if anyone had seen them.

Greg rubbed his nose. "Ow." He stuck his tongue out at Connor, and then quietly said, "Say what you want, but you're not pitching a tent anymore now, are you fuckboy?" Greg poked Connor's pants and then hopped away before he got thumped again.

Connor rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I guess not."

Greg grinned in reply, "Yeah, well, go get 'em, tiger. Call me if you need me."

He started to walk away. "Good luck!"

Connor smiled. Greg was always so enthusiastic. "Seeya, Greg. Tell Finn and your parents happy New Year for me."

"Will do. Happy New Year, Connor. Have a fun time, lover boy!"

When Greg turned off of Rider's road, Connor walked down the driveway and onto Rider's porch; he could see his breath because of the cold, and his heart was thumping along steadily.

He knocked on the door, and after a few moments, a girl slightly taller than Connor opened the door. "Uhm. Hi there..."

Connor scratched his head. "Uh, hey, Diana."

The girl cocked an eyebrow. "Do I know you?"

Connor rolled his eyes. "I'm Connor? Rider's friend. We've known each other for like 8 years?" He pulled off the woolen cap he was wearing to keep warm and smiled.

Diana snapped her fingers, "Oh, yeah! Sorry, I didn't recognize you with that goofy cap on, Connor. Come on in." She opened the door and called, "Rider! Connor is here!"

"It's no problem, thanks." Connor stepped inside and scratched his head, closing the door behind him.

From upstairs, Connor heard Rider shout, "Crap! Getting dressed, be down in a sec!"

Connor and Diana snickered; Rider wasn't the most organized person. "He must've forgotten when he told you to be here. Can I take your coat?"

Connor shook his head as he unzipped his coat. "Nah, I'll put it away. Thanks, Diana. I'll run up there to Rider." He took off his backpack and hung his coat and cap on a hook near the door. He slid off his shoes and left them at the door.

Diana smiled, "No problem, kid." She trotted toward the living room and disappeared.

Connor grabbed his backpack and made his way toward the stairs, greeting Rider's parents as he passed them in the kitchen. He walked up the stairs and found Rider's door closed. His heart throbbed a bit; maybe he could sneak a peak of Rider undressed. With a sly smile opened the door unceremoniously and announced, "I'm here!" Rider was already dressed, though; damn.

Rider jumped a little. "Crap, sorry dude. Forgot what time it was!" He smiled warmly, and Connor loved the sight of him. "We're gonna eat in a sec."

Connor sat his backpack down. "Cool. I brought along warm PJ's like you said, and a pillow too."

Rider grinned. "Okay, so, at dinner, I usually wear normal clothes." He gestured to his blue jeans and t-shirt. "After dinner, though, I usually change into PJ's for game time."

Connor raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Rider scratched his head and looked away awkwardly. "Uh, when I was little, I had a habit of falling asleep super early lots of the time… So, my parents normally made me change into my PJ's after dinner at night as a habit..."

Connor was unaware of that. "Really? I've spent the night with you dozens of times, how'd I not know that?" Connor was internally freaking out; just when he didn't think Rider could get any cuter, he revealed that secret.

Rider rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, don't make any jokes. I never had issues with it when friends were around to play with." He paused and looked at Connor. "I don't have that problem anymore, but mom insists I wear my PJ's when family and friends are over for parties and stuff because they make for cuter pictures or something like that."

Connor said, "Awesome. So, I guess you'd like me to do it, too?"

Rider sighed and nodded. "Yeah, that thing about my room getting super cold at night was kinda a cover-up; my room stays plenty warm at night. I just knew my mom would love it if I had a friend over and he wore, like, legit pajamas too." He sighed. "You don't have to if you don't wanna, I just thought I'd tell you, so you knew why I changed into my pajamas after dinner… I'm the youngest, so it's sorta like a youngest child thing, I guess." He was starting to blush. "They always sorta baby me more than I like."

Connor smiled and took Greg's advice from earlier: he was confident when he replied, "Sure, dude. I'd be happy to do it with you."

Rider's demeanor brightened up. "You would?"

Connor nodded his head happily. "Yeah. I think it's… Well, it's... cute." He smiled and desperately hoped he wasn't blushing. "Besides, my mom would _probably_ like to see that photo, too. She always complains that I act too grown up."

They high fived, and Rider said, "Fucking awesome. Thanks, dude."

Connor grinned. "Shoulda just told me the truth. I like cute shit sometimes."

Rider shrugged. "I didn't want you to think I was a big baby or something." He laughed. "Come on, let's go downstairs, dinner should be about ready. We'll have lots of my parents' friends showing up in a minute or two. They always make it a big party. All the adults go down in the basement and dance and shit after midnight."

Connor nodded and followed Rider out of the room chattering with Rider as they walked.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

Three hundred kilometers above the Earth, the _SS-Jenolan_ orbited the planet. Inside, on the middle deck, Romeo and Amaya were working on the computer circuits. Robot was busy putting up a chamber in the middle of the room.

Amaya and Romeo were sitting in chairs nearby, watching Robot work as they had a late-night snack. Amaya said, "Romeo. I have a question for you, and I don't want you to lie to me."

Romeo looked over at her from his sandwich, raising an eyebrow. He replied, "Uh, okay."

"Why did the fusion core on your mobile lab really blow up? I find it very suspicious that you have had that fusion core running in that thing for seven or more years and nothing has ever happened before."

Romeo sighed and sat down his sandwich. "You know, I figured you had a suspicion about that. If it makes you feel any better, you're right… I activated the self destruct sequence."

Amaya crunched on her chips. "Why?"

"Well. I did something… Well, nothing smart."

Amaya stared at him. "Out with it, Romeo."

Romeo tapped his fingers together and nervously said, "I was trying to open the portal to another universe… And it worked, kinda. But what came through was some sort of monster. I barely got out of the back part of the lab before it ripped me apart."

Amaya's gaze remained on Romeo. "And, that is what created the Anomaly we're going after?"

Romeo nodded. "Kinda. I closed the portal before I sealed the lab. I think when the fusion core blew up, something happened that reopened the portal and created the thing that we call the Anomaly. Its properties are much different from the portal I created originally… I think it has something to do with the fusion core blowing up."

They were quiet for about a minute. Amaya quietly spoke, "One last thing… Why did you do it?"

Romeo looked up at her and said, "I'll tell you later. For now," he pointed to Robot, "he is almost done setting up the containment chamber. Let's get back to work."

Amaya watched as Romeo stood up and walked away. He seemed tense; she was worried about him.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 **A few hours later,** Connor was blindfolded and getting spun around. He was released and said, "Okay, Rider, go!"

Lots of noise was going on around him, including some loud music, as Rider gave him directions, "Okay, go forward." Connor dizzily followed the instructions. "Alright, now to your left. No, not that far... Yeah, like that! Now, it's on a shelf, yeah. There you go! Now, up to the next level, then to the right."

Connor grabbed at something, and everyone in the room cheered. He took off his blindfold and looked around at all the adults in the room cheering for him. Rider pumped his fist gloatingly and said, "Nice, dude! We beat Diana and Jonah's time, we win!" He ran over and helped Connor up.

"Hah!" Connor's dizziness wore off, and he danced around gloatingly with Rider. That game was wild. After things started to calm down, they talked with several of the adults, including Rider's big brother. After a few minutes, Rider pulled Connor aside and said, "Hey, can we, like, slip upstairs? All this noise is getting to me."

Connor was having fun talking with the adults; he could make jokes to them he couldn't make usually. He shrugged, though. "Sure, dude." They trotted upstairs, away from the basement where the party was in full swing, and another game was being put together.

Once they were away from most of the noise, Rider said, "Want some snacks?"

Connor nodded. "Sure." They stopped in the kitchen, and Connor remarked, "Man, this party is nuts, and it's just now 11. And you said it gets crazier at midnight?"

Rider laughed, "Yeah. They're gonna break out the alcohol in a bit probably, so I usually duck out around now. Then, at midnight, the kids leave after the ball drops, and it's an adults-only party from then on." He was steadily grabbing snacks from the snack trays and layering them up on the plates as he talked.

Connor nodded. "What're we gonna do now?"

Rider asked, "Well, wanna kill some zombies while we wait for midnight?"

Connor nodded. "Sure. I'll go turn on the console." He trotted upstairs to Rider's room and got the game started.

The game was ready when Rider arrived. Connor grinned from his spot on the floor, leaning against Rider's bed. "I am player one."

Rider sat the snacks down next to Connor. "Sure." He turned to grab the other controller.

Connor took the opportunity to admire Rider's pajamas; they were navy blue and consisted of a short sleeve shirt with shorts that had prints of planets, stars, and space rocks all over them. The shorts barely covered half of Rider's creamy-olive thighs. "Rider, you've had those PJ's forever, man. Aren't they getting sorta... small?"

Rider turned around and said, "Huh?" He looked at his shorts and replied, "Maybe? I dunno, but they're comfortable, so fuck off."

Connor laughed as Rider sat down next to him. They both munched on snacks and enjoyed themselves for a while as they killed zombies on the game. Eventually, Rider looked at his alarm clock and said, "Fifteen minutes to midnight. Mom wanted us back downstairs soon." The snacks were all gone by now.

Connor paused the game and said, "Alright. Let's go."

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

Back aboard the _Jenolan,_ Amaya and Romeo walked the corridor on the lowest deck of the ship. The fusion core rumbled loudly down here. They turned into one of the three doors on the deck. They entered a small office with a desk, computer console, and a few comfy chairs.

Romeo took his goggles off as Amaya tapped her chin. "I uhhh… like what you've done with the place."

Romeo rolled his eyes. "You think it's too dull, don't you?

Amaya laughed. "A little. You went through all this trouble to make the office, and it's so… bland?"

Romeo shrugged. "I'm not as aesthetically gifted as you are. It has functionality, that's all I need."

Amaya quickly responded, "Yeah, you really aren't. And that's okay. You're a good scientist." She sat down on one of the chairs and said, "Now, tell me why you were opening a portal to another universe."

Romeo sighed. He knew she wouldn't let that go. He sat down behind the desk and said, "Remember my cousin Ralphie?"

Amaya nodded. "Yeah, the one whose death made you start inventing things to take over the world with?"

"That's the one. Yeah. So… I had this crazy idea about multiverse theory. I'll spare you the technical details, but I figured I could find an alternate universe like ours and go there and rescue Ralphie before he died... Then, bring him back to this universe."

He frowned and looked down at the ground somberly. "As you can tell, things didn't go as planned… I don't know what that monster was that I found, but I'm glad it's dead."

Amaya frowned as well, and yet again they were quiet. Eventually, Amaya said, "I'm sorry it didn't work."

"Me too." After a few more seconds, Romeo stood up and tiredly said, "Come on. Midnight is in a few minutes, we should go back to Earth. I'm sure Night Eagle must be sick of covering for us."

Amaya stood up and followed him out the door, explaining, "You might be surprised. She is actually happy to cover for us with our parents. She does it every time I transform into Owlette anyway."

Romeo just grunted in reply. He didn't want to talk anymore. He looked forward to the new year ahead of them.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

Connor was walking up the stairs with Rider not long later. They had celebrated the new year, and it was time for the kids to disappear. Now that Rider's siblings were older, that was basically just Rider and Connor. Rider said, "They'll party the rest of the night. They always do."

Connor licked his chops funnily. "Yeah, good for them. We'll have plenty of fun up here." His jaw felt tight. "Those gummy bears down there tasted weird. I tried one."

Rider stopped dead in his tracks. "You… what?"

Connor raised an eyebrow. "Uh… I tried a gummy bear?" Rider's eyes went wide, and Connor said, "You're freaking out. Why are you freaking out? Was there something in it?"

Rider bit his lip, and said, "Y-yeah. So..." Pause, and he quickly dragged Connor into his room and closed the door. In hushed tones, he explained, "All I know is that all the adults eat one before midnight every year… A few years ago, I grabbed one and ate it on accident, too." He whispered, "There's some kind of... drug in the gummy bears. They make you feel… Really good, though."

Connor sat down on the bed and cradled his head in his hands. "I did drugs? Oh my God, my mom will kill you, me, and this entire suburb."

Rider laughed. "When did you eat it?"

Connor said, "Like, 15 minutes ago."

Rider smiled. "Lay down. It will be hitting you any moment now. You won't be able to talk tomorrow, ha."

Connor said, "Holy shit, is it swietenia?"

Rider nodded. "Yeah, I think so." Swietenia was a relatively harmless drug made from tree bark. It caused euphoria for an hour or two but had a strange side-effect the next day of the user losing their voice. Repeat usage in a short period resulted in permanent loss of voice. It was also pretty expensive, so the fact that Rider's parents had made gummy bears with it was somewhat indicative that Rider's folks were pretty well-off.

Connor covered his eyes, "Oh, my, GOD, Rider."

Rider laughed. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I snuck one, too."

Connor peeked out through his fingers. "Oh? So… We're gonna...do it together?"

Rider nodded.

Connor moaned. "I cannot go home tomorrow, my mom will know. Oh my God." He took his phone from his pocket. "I have to text Greg."

Rider nodded, "Cool, that's cool."

Connor was stressing out big time, despite the euphoric feelings beginning to kick in. He was sitting on Rider's bed, and Rider was laying down next to him. "Rider, dude, this is nuts. My mom will seriously-"

Rider interrupted, "Kill everyone, yeah, I know. Look, dude, what's done is done. You should just enjoy this while you can."

Connor sighed. Rider wasn't wrong. "I mean… I guess."

Rider said, "Lie down." He patted the spot on the bed next to him. "Actually, if I remember right, you're probably gonna get kinda warm." Rider sat up and removed his shirt. "I'd go ahead and ditch the shirt."

Connor was stressing out for a different reason, now; Rider was _hot_. Shit, this swietenia was having some sort of effect on him. Connor shakily removed his own shirt. "O-okay."

Rider patted the pillow next to his. "Now, will you lay down? We can talk."

Connor nervously laid back next to Rider. "S-sure, okay."

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

Meanwhile, in the forest near the nearest city to Tarabiscoville, Greg was watching the fireworks with Finn. "Greggy, this was a good idea," Finn said idly as he watched the show.

Greg nodded. "Agreed, kiddo." The fireworks were beginning to slow above them, and Finn yawned tiredly.

They sat silently for a few more minutes, and the fireworks show was finally over. They always had a big fireworks show here, and Greg was glad he could bring Finn to it. "Alright, I think they're all done, kiddo."

Finn smiled. "Ready to go home?"

Greg nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for teaching me how, by the way. This Soul Walk thing is really new to me."

Finn smiled and said, "Zacam." He vanished from next to Greg, and the older boy took a deep breath.

He spoke the magic word, "Zacam." Reality warped around Greg, and he felt more substantial. Then, WHAM, he shot up in his bed and breathed deeply. "Crap, that feels weird!"

Finn giggled from nearby on another set of pillows. "You're silly."

Greg twitched slightly. His little brother was better at this than him. Koozye had mentioned this the other day; Finn was unnaturally talented at manipulating his soul. "Yeah, I guess I am, buddy." He looked around for his phone and found it on the nightstand next to them. "Hey, a text from Connor."

Finn jumped on the bed. "Connor!" He plopped down on Greg and said, "What'd he say?"

Greg poked Finn in the ribs to tickle him a little bit and said, "Hey, you're too loud. Mom and dad will hear us, dork." Greg silently read the rest of the text… "Well, it looks like Connor is coming over tomorrow." Greg laughed. "He's apparently got himself into some sort of trouble."

Finn raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Greg nodded. "Yeah. There's no telling what he's gotten himself into. As for us," he said as he sat his phone down, "It is time to go to bed, Finn."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Do we have to?"

Greg tapped his chin. "Well, I was going to play some video games for a little while…" He looked at Finn dramatically. "Would YOU like to stay and play, too?"

"Yeah!"

Greg laughed. "Alright, but you have to be quiet."

Finn stood up on the bed and drew his fingers across his mouth like he was closing a zipper. He whispered, "All quiet."

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

Back at Rider's house, Rider and Connor were deep into a drug-induced haze, now. They were giggling about something. Eventually, Rider said, "Hey, dude. Remember the other day when we talked about Lily?"

Connor rolled over and looked at Rider. "Yeah?"

Rider was looking that the ceiling still, but asked, "What were those tips you have for me?"

Connor was feeling confident, now; he felt good and had all but forgotten that his mom would kill them if she found out he was high. "Well, I mean..." He laughed a bit and then continued, "My best advice for you is to ask the director. You know that there are special ways for actors to kiss onstage, right?"

Rider sat up a bit. "Oh. No shit?"

"No shit." Connor stretched his arm over and placed it on Rider's bare chest. Electric tingles went through his body, and he said, "Ah, that feels good."

Rider made a pleased grunt, then laughed. "Swietenia is supposed to make you feel good when you touch someone else." He poked Connor's cheek, and they both laughed.

Connor removed his hand from Rider, and he thought for a few seconds. "You still want my real tips for kissing?"

Rider nodded. "Yeah."

"Well…" Connor slid over closer to Rider and said, "It would be easier to show you."

Rider seemed to wake up a little. "Oh, you want to…"

Connor gave a toothy grin and nodded. "Yeah." Pause. "I'm gay if it means anything." The words just fell out of his mouth. Usually, he would have been nervous to admit that.

Rider raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Connor nodded. "Yeah. Is that cool?"

Rider reached over placed his arm over Connor's side. "I guess so."

Connor shivered and sat up. As Rider sat up too, the thought crossed Connor's mind that, if he were sober, this definitely wouldn't be happening. "Alright, so, the first kiss can't be with tongue. I learned that from my first kiss."

Rider's face was turning red. Was it from the swietenia or from emotions? He giggled, "Okay." He made a strange face. "Was your first kiss with a boy?"

Connor smiled. "Yeah, it was. It was special." He grabbed Rider's hand.

Rider took a deep breath and released it slowly. He closed his eyes and said, "Okay. If Connor McKenzie can kiss a boy, so can I."

Connor whispered, "You are absolutely adorable, Rider Evans. Can I be your first kiss?"

Rider opened his eyes and nodded silently. Connor leaned in and used his free hand to caress Rider's chin and cheek, much to their mutual pleasure. Their lips met and everything became intense and sort of blurry.

Their lips moved apart, and sweat dripped down Rider's forehead. He shivered as he said, "That felt really good." His muscles trembled involuntarily, and he ran his free hand down Connor's chest sensually.

Connor giggled. "We haven't even tried tongue yet." He pushed the boy down on the bed and smiled wickedly.

Rider grinned back. "Bring it on." Typically this would have been out of his comfort zone, but Rider was high and determined to extract as much fun out of it as he could manage. This swietenia stuff was pretty fun by yourself, but in the past few minutes with Connor, it's been… Euphoric.

Connor straddled him and said, "You have no idea how hot I find you right now." He leaned down and knew he was about to have a fun time.


	29. Happy New Year

Thanks for reading, everyone. I'm still alive! School started back at the middle of August, and between that and some writer's block, it has been difficult finding the time, energy, and desire to write since my last update.

 **Grad school is keeping me busy, so expect updates to be slow. Let's limit them to 2 updates a month, maximum.**

Special thanks go to my beta reader, Shadow. He's great and really helps me stay hyped with my writing. :)

* * *

 _The next morning,_ Connor awoke with an odd headache. He started to groan as he stretched, but no sound came out. Oh, yeah… The swietenia. He realized he was on something warm and opened his eyes to find Rider's bare chest under his cheek. His heart fluttered as he remembered last night; it brought a smile to his face, though. He sat up and rubbed Rider's chest adoringly. Rider's eyes opened after several seconds, and he stretched before looking up at Connor.

They smiled at each other. Rider reached up to Connor and poked his nose. They both laughed noiselessly. Connor pulled him upright, and they kissed again, not like they did last night, though. Just a quick peck. They hugged tightly and held each other warmly. It was slightly awkward, though. They both had a lot to say to the other, but their vocal cords had been fried by the swietenia; it would be late that evening before they could talk again. For now, though, the hug said it all.

⁂⁂⁂

A couple hours later, Connor had slyly slipped into Greg's house. Greg was sitting on his bed next to Connor, reading an extended passage on Connor's phone. "So, you got to third base with Rider, huh?"

Connor covered his face with his hands, embarrassed. After a few seconds, he removed his hands and reached for a small dry erase board and marker that he was using to communicate. He wrote on it quickly, and Greg laughed at the madness. He turned the board around, and it said, "Yes. Please shut up. He and I gonna talk tomorrow. ."

Greg burst out laughing. "Oh man, your mom would fucking murder you if she knew you did swietenia last night." Connor nodded despondently, and Greg said, "Well, was it fun?"

Connor's gaze turned soft, and he seemed lost in thought. After a few seconds, his eyes refocused and he nodded contently. He wrote on the board, "You're gonna tease me, aren't you?"

Greg smiled. "How could I not?"

Connor sighed and wrote something else on the board: "Fine, but if you piss me off, I'm gonna punch you. :P"

Greg giggled. "Seems fair. So, have you talked to him anymore?"

Connor nodded. He showed Greg his phone with a nervous smile. Greg read through several text messages. "So… You two are gonna meet up tomorrow, huh?" Connor nodded more, and Greg said, "So, you're gonna try to make it to home base. Right, loverboy?"

Connor punched him, and Greg laughed.

⁂⁂⁂

Later that evening, on the _Jenolan_ , Amaya, and Romeo stood on the bridge monitoring the viewscreen as it showed a video feed of deck two. Romeo looked at his watch and said, "Jarvis, what's our time to intercept of the Anomaly?"

Jarvis replied, "Three minutes, sir."

Romeo nodded to Amaya, and she directed, "Computer, initiate decompression sequence, deck two."

The female computer voice replied, "Warning! Decompression danger, deck two. Deck two bulkheads sealing in fifteen seconds."

Romeo took a deep breath. "You think this electromagnetic field is going to work to catch it, Amaya?"

Amaya nodded. "It has to."

They were silent for a few moments, and the computer announced, "Deck two decompression sequence complete."

Amaya replied, "Computer, disable artificial gravity on deck two and open outer doors." The computer beeped its understanding.

Romeo tapped a button on the console and said, "Robot, that's your cue. Catch the Anomaly as we've discussed."

On the screen, Robot raised a thumbs up as the bay doors opened. The moon could be seen in the distance once the bay doors opened. Jarvis said, "The Anomaly is 3 kilometers ahead. Reducing relative speed to 500 meters per second… 150 meters ahead, reducing speed to 15 meters per second."

Romeo and Amaya strained their eyes looking for the Anomaly for a few seconds before Jarvis added, "The anomaly is 25 meters ahead, reducing speed to 2 meters per second…. 15 seconds to intercept."

Amaya pointed. "There. Found it." Romeo nodded and stood silently as a small, glowing pinprick of light came into view. It slowly entered the _Jenolan,_ and once it was to the middle of the room, Robot activated a switch that enabled a shimmering blue forcefield around the Anomaly. It stayed in there and moved no further.

Romeo released the breath he'd been holding in once it was clear the Anomaly wasn't going to move. "Computer, close outer doors and engage the artificial gravity field."

"Understood."

Romeo jumped for joy and turned to Amaya. "We've done it!" They danced together, giggling giddily. Once they stopped, Romeo kissed her on the mouth quickly, and said, "You're a fucking genius, Amaya Shelton!"

Amaya was shocked at his forwardness, but not offended. "Well, uh, thanks."

They both blushed, and Romeo said, "Uh, sorry… It was for science." He scratched his head. "C'mon, there's a lot to do."

Amaya nodded and said, "Sure. Lots to do."


	30. Excursion

Thanks for reading, everyone. Again, I'm still alive! School started back at the middle of August, and between that and some writer's block, it has been difficult finding the time, energy, and desire to write since my last update.

 **Grad school continues to keep me busy, so expect updates to continue to be slow.**

Special thanks go to my beta reader, Shadow. He's great and really helps me stay hyped with my writing whenever I show it to him. :)

* * *

 **A few weeks later,** things seem to have settled down for the PJ Masks and Romeo. Amaya and Romeo have been studying the Anomaly intently since New Year's Day. They were on the verge of finding a way to open the portal between their world and the boy who they had learned was named Roman. Apparently, he was an alternate universe version of Romeo.

On this day, Romeo paced around the deck of the _Jenolan_. He observed, "The portal is really behaving strangely today, Amaya. Neutrino readings have been off the chart."

Amaya nodded, looking at the results of an analysis on one of the consoles. "Yes, it seems like there are positron emissions from it as well, which is something we haven't seen before…"

Romeo tapped his chin curiously, staring at the dimly glowing Anomaly above them. "I wonder if this is…" His words slowed to a halt as the Anomaly glowed brighter and brighter above them. "The anomaly opening… What do you think?"

Amaya replied, "I think it is. But where is it going? Roman didn't say he was running any tests over the radio link."

The Anomaly became so bright that they couldn't look straight at it, and then there was a flash of white. When everything came back into focus, Romeo was gone.

Amaya blinked and looked around. She clenched her teeth and scratched her head. "Well. This is awkward."

⁂⁂⁂

 **20 minutes later,** Greg was aboard the _Jenolan_ with Amaya, and the two of them are puzzled. Greg flatly said, "People don't just disappear, Amaya. Were you two doing anything to the Anomaly? Anything at all?"

Amaya cursed. "No, Greg! Nothing, I've told you twice now!"

Greg sighed. "Amaya, I'm not a scientist. I'm not dumb, but damn. What do you want from me? I barely know anything about this thing."

Amaya rubbed her temples as she paced around the circle of the ship where the Anomaly was contained and said, "I know, I know. Just… Dammit, he's just," She took a breath, then continued, "just gone! What the hell?"

Greg pointed at the Anomaly sheepishly. "Uh, A-Amaya!"

She jerked her head over to the Anomaly; it was glowing again. "Quick, get behind a console!" They both ducked for cover, and there was a loud crack and a flash as if there'd been a small explosion.

They heard a groaning sound emanating from the middle of the room, and they both stood up and looked. Amaya shouted, "Romeo!" The boy was curled up in a ball, holding his groin and coughing.

Greg and Amaya ran over to him. Greg cried, "What happened, Romeo?"

Romeo coughed a few times. "I don't… Wanna talk about it," he squeaked out.

Amaya squinted at him, then remarked, "It seems like someone kicked you in the…"

Romeo shouted, "I said I don't wanna talk about it!"

Greg shot a look at Amaya; he'd been trying to get her not to be so pushy with people for months now. She sighed. "I'm sorry. Can I help you up?" Romeo nodded, and she and Greg both helped the ailing science boy to his feet and into a nearby chair.

Greg said, "Where did it take you, Romeo?"

Romeo took a few deep breaths. "To another universe." He wiped a line of sweat from his brow. "Trust me, I won't be going back there… The people… Have a reason not to like me."

Greg and Amaya eyed each other. Amaya remarked, "Huh?"

Romeo groaned. "Just, please leave it be."

Amaya rubbed her temples and eventually said, "Well, I suppose one good thing came from this. I think I know how to open the portal for Roman to visit us and vice versa. Positron bombardment seems to be the key."

Greg smiled and clapped Romeo on the shoulder. "Well, whatever happened, it seems to have been worth it, Romeo."

Romeo coughed a few more times, still clutching his groin tenderly. "Great…"

⁂⁂⁂

Meanwhile, at Connor's house, Connor and Rider sat together on the couch in the living room. Rider was saying, "So. Wow." The boys were reading from scripts. "The end of the play is… intense."

Connor nodded solemnly. "Y'know, my dad watched the old _Spartacus_ movie with me a month or two ago. This plays out pretty much, just like the end of the movie did…" Connor leaned his head over on Rider's arm. "Think we can make that scene work?"

Rider smiled at the contact and went to a contemplative look for several seconds. "Yeah." He wrapped his arm around Connor. Within a moment, the brown-haired boy found his head resting on Rider's shoulder. This had become a comfortable position for them since New Year's Eve. Connor took a deep breath and remarked, "You smell nice."

Rider giggled. "Thanks." He took a deep breath. "Wanna practice the lines?"

Connor darted up from their embrace. "Yes!" He stood a few feet away in an empty part of the floor. Rider smiled and followed him. Connor stopped and let Rider get near him. Connor looked back at him playfully. "Hey? Look at this line?"

Rider eyed him. "Hm?" As he looked over, Connor gave him a quick smooch on the lips and snickered. Rider blushed a bit, but with an unconvincing tone, said, "Stop, we gotta practice."

Connor stuck out his tongue. "Hey, you said we're an item now. I can sneak a little kiss every now and then, right?"

Rider rolled his eyes. "Yes, but we gotta get in character!"

Connor pounced to the other side of the space they were going to practice in. 'Alrighty! That's fair." He took a deep breath. "Ready?"

Rider cracked a smile. Connor was a fun person. "Yeah, sure! And I'm gonna pay ya back for that after we practice these lines. Better perform well, _Antonius._ "

Connor loved it when Rider challenged him like that. "Alright, bet." He took one more deep breath and looked at his script. With ferocity, he said, _"I won't let them crucify you!"_ If Rider wanted a good performance, then he was gonna get one.


	31. Rendezvous

Thanks for reading, everyone. Again, I'm still alive! School has been out for a moment, and I've finally overcome my writer's block! I expect to have chapters 32 and 33 out sometime in the next two or three weeks. **After that: Grad school continues to keep me busy, so expect updates to continue to be slow.**

Special thanks go to my beta reader, Shadow. He's great and really helps me stay hyped with my writing whenever I show it to him. :)

Hey, leave me a review once you're done reading this chapter! I'm curious to know what you guys think of Roman! ;)

* * *

 _ **A few weeks later,**_ it was finally time. Amaya and Romeo had perfected their control of the Anomaly. They looked up from consoles around the center of the science lab on the Jenolan. The Anomaly glowed brightly, and Romeo said, "Modulate the positron beam, Amaya."

Amaya clicked a few buttons, and the bright pinprick of light grew into an open portal, whose edges were brightly glowing. Romeo walked over to the side of it and said, "Roman! I'm going to toss you over a piece of fruit as our final test."

A distorted voice called back from the portal, "Alright. We're ready if you are."

"Incoming!" Romeo took an apple from his coat pocket and threw it at the portal. It disappeared inside the pitch-black rip in the fabric of reality.

After a moment, Roman called back, "I got it. It appears intact."

Romeo looked back at Amaya; they were both grinning wide. Romeo gestured at her, and Amaya clicked a few buttons. "Lowering the portal to ground level…"

The Anomaly slowly moved down to nearly level with the floor. Once it was still, Romeo said, "Roman, would you like the honors?"

Roman called back, "Sure! I'm going to walk through the portal… now."

A couple of seconds passed, and a boy exited the portal. He was similar in appearance, build, and size to Romeo, but his hair was white with a black stripe, his eyes were topaz green, and his lab coat was a smooth burgundy color. He looked around the inside of the Jenolan, then to Romeo and Amaya. He held his hand out and said, "Romeo, I presume? Nice ship."

Romeo took his hand and shook it happily. "Correct, and thanks. I'm Romeo Mécano, and this is my friend and fellow scientist, Amaya Shelton. You're Roman, I presume?" Amaya trotted over to them, and Roman shook her hand courteously.

Roman replied, "And I am Roman Milhaud. I am pleased to have met the two of you. This is a very nice setup you have here."

Amaya greeted, "This is fascinating, Roman. We've just made history. Is there anyone else with you?"

Roman shook his head. With a smile, he explained, "I'm afraid not. It's just my helper android, Loki, back on my ship. Romeo told me the other week that you're part of the trio behind his PJ Masks and that he befriended you three. Unlike Romeo, I never befriended my version of the PJ Masks. Though I did straighten up from evil and they left me to my devices."

Amaya nodded. "He told me about it. We're both impressed with you. I know that was not easy, eh?"

Roman laughed, "That's one way to put it. They were skeptical of me for quite some time, but eventually, we came to an understanding." He smiled.

Amaya said, "Well, cool. Oh, this is so exciting! This discovery puts us on par with Einstein, or the great explorers like Roosevelt or Marco Polo or Vespucci!"

Roman nodded. "Or Cortes."

Romeo blinked at that addition, but quickly nodded his agreement and said, "Well, let's sit down for a moment, shall we? We can have a cup of coffee on the bridge."

Roman chuckled. "A smart place to keep your coffeemaker."

Romeo began leading the trio toward the ladder, explaining, "Well, it seemed rather logical, to me. It gives me a reason to go up there and check our orbit every hour or two."

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

Greg and Connor watched the scene from PJ Masks HQ, monitoring Roman for anything suspicious. Greg swapped the camera feed to the one on the bridge as Amaya, Roman, and Romeo all finished climbing the ladder and went to get coffee. Connor yawned from the couch as Greg walked back over toward him. Connor said, "Y'know, I get why we're doing this, but jeez, this is so boring."

Greg shrugged. "I say we play the video game. The footage is recording, so we can have Jarvis go over it later anyways. If anything too wild happens, we'll hear it."

Connor tapped his chin and watched the picture player as Romeo started the coffee maker and the three of them babbled about some incomprehensible particle physics crap. He nodded. "Yeah, agreed, fire up the game."

Greg said, "Alright. I call player one." He turned on the TV in front of the couch and powered up the game console.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

A couple of hours later, Romeo and Amaya waved goodbye to Roman as he walked back through his side of the portal. "We'll see you again in a few days, Roman," called Amaya.

Roman called, "Goodbye! It was a pleasure meeting you!"

Romeo entered several commands on a console, and the portal closed slowly. When the Anomaly was once again a pinprick of bright light, Romeo said, "Alright, it's closed." He took a deep breath, and let his cheery demeanor drop. He was tired. "What'd you think?"

Amaya rubbed her temples gently. "Well, he was certainly friendly… I don't know, Romeo. He was alright, he never did anything that could come off as suspicious. Just seemed like a curious scientist, like us."

Romeo nodded. "We'll see. For now, let's get home. We can do prep work for his next visit tomorrow. Maybe we can visit him the next time, eh?"

Amaya nodded as they walked toward the transporter pad. "Maybe so. For now, it's sleep time."


	32. The Play

I live! Woo. Have two new chapters. Will try to have more regular updates going forward.

* * *

 ** _A few months later,_** it was March. Everything had gone so fast this year. Finally, it was time for the Spartacus play, and Connor and Rider had their work cut out for them. But, tonight was opening night. So far, it had gone well. Now, however, it was crunch time.

Connor took nervous breaths in his hiding place; it was almost time for the biggest scene of the play. The fourth act neared its end. Jeez, this play is long… He looked around the football field, watching as the Roman armies advanced toward them–they were surrounded. This production was stunningly huge. There was a collective groan from the audience as the death scene of Varina, Spartacus's wife, took place. Chills went down his back as Connor heard Rider scream in anguish; Rider made a great Spartacus. Then, the troop blocks rang out with a sound like a marching army. That was their cue. Connor grabbed a spear, along with all the other rebels, and tense music began to play in time with the marching sound as they emerged from hiding behind props. It had taken them a week to choreograph this. The audience cheered.

The Roman armies formed into block-like formations and yelled taunts at the rebels. The rebel army formed up into a loose circle, hammering their swords and spears on their shields in time with the troop blocks. After a few moments, the main block of the rebels lifted their shields above their heads, forming a sort of wall. Connor ran out in front of the group, followed by Rider. Connor screamed a battle cry, and the music went wild as they led a charge through the Romans. Another group split off with Rider and went toward the second group of Romans.

The fight was quite realistic, but the Roman army out-numbered the Rebels. Several of the Romans fell, but many more of the rebel army fell. Despite a valiant effort, they overpowered the rebels. Eventually, they were surrounded by the Roman legions and forced to surrender. The audience was silent; the fight had lasted a few minutes, and the air was tense.

The football stadium went quiet as Connor, Rider, and the other rebels were chained up by the Roman army and led onto the raised stage. An ornately armored Roman, Julius Caesar, held open a scroll as he stood over the rebels. With a hidden microphone amplifying him, he said, "I bring a message from your master... Marcus Licinius Crassus... commander of Italy. By command of his most merciful excellency, your lives are to be spared. Slaves you were... and slaves you remain." Chains rattled among the prisoners. "But the terrible penalty of crucifixion has been set aside on the single condition that you identify the body or the living person of the slave called Spartacus."

Rider looked around tensely; the stage was silent except for the rattling of chains and the groans of the wounded slaves. Rider started to stand up and reveal himself, but Connor darted up first. With an unflinching look, he cried out, "I am Spartacus!" Rider's expression turned horrified as more and more of the slaves stood behind him and repeated Connor's words. They all yelled it over and over, creating a strange clamor. Connor shouted again, "I am Spartacus!"

The actor playing Caesar looked over them and said into his hidden microphone. "So be it. Crucify them all." He eyed Connor and Rider; they had been the first two to stand up, and one of them never said anything.

The stadium lights went dim, and the pitch was covered in twilight. The director announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, that is the end of Act 4. We will resume with the final act in 30 minutes." The crowd applauded and cheered for nearly a minute, and then dispersed from the stands to stretch their legs, buy concessions, and use the restroom.

Connor waved slightly up at his family and friends and then set about preparing the stage for the next act, along with the other actors. He and Rider clapped each other on the back at one point. This had gone great! That was the part of the play that had caused everyone to be the most nervous.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

At the end of the intermission, Greg, Amaya, and Romeo watched as the lights came back up in the stadium. "After the Battle of the Silarius River, some thirty-six thousand rebels died during the battle. After the battle was lost, six thousand of the surviving slaves were rounded up and crucified along the Appian Way between the city of Rome and Capua. This slave rebellion ultimately led to reforms in the ways slaves were viewed and treated in ancient Rome. Spartacus did not sacrifice and labor in vain; in the coming decades, Romans enacted a constitution protecting slaves from unfair treatment by their owners and made it a capital crime to murder a slave that was infirm or old. Unfortunately, many historians believe Spartacus and his closest advisors died in the battle, but the events you're about to see are also possible."

The lights came on to their full brightness, revealing the stage was the only thing remaining on the field. Roman guards held Connor and Rider (Antonius and Spartacus). Caesar stood atop a set of stairs leading up the stage. The narrator continued, "The Romans spared Antonius and Spartacus from crucifixion, and they have been brought back to Rome by Caesar."

Caesar spoke, "You know, Spartacus, you and your friend would have been crucified with the rest, had it not been for one of my men recognizing you. He saw you when you were still gladiators. It did leave me wondering, though. Why did you allow your companions to bring on their deaths?"

Rider, whose makeup had been changed to show him bruised and bloody, replied, "For two years, they were free men, Caesar. They wanted to die like men, not slaves."

Connor, similarly bloodied and bruised, shouted, "And who better to do it for than for the man who would give everything for them! Spartacus was our liberator."

Caesar scowled at Connor. "They made a foolish decision. But, now, I'm going to allow the two of you to make a smart one." He snapped his fingers, and the guards formed into a circle around them. "Give them swords." Two of the soldiers threw short swords down in front of Antonius and Spartacus.

The crowd was tense as they waited for Caesar to continue. Connor nervously picked one of them up, but Rider kept staring Caesar down. Caesar said, "The two of you will fight. For our entertainment. Just as gladiators."

Rider asked, "And if we refuse?"

Caesar said, "Then, I will crucify you both. The winner will still be crucified, but at least the loser will have a quick death. You two are friends, yes? One of you grant the other mercy." He laughed cruelly.

Rider looked over at Connor, and they shared a tense look. Rider picked up his sword. Connor came at him quickly, and they separated. Fake blood had stained Rider's tunic, and he looked up at Connor. The audience gasped. The Roman guards jeered and taunted them.

Connor seemed near to tears. "I won't let them crucify you!" He came at Rider again, and their swords clashed several times, and they fought, swords ringed as they clashed. It was a hot night, and sweat had already been pouring from their bodies at the end of act 4, so now they were drenched in sweat, and it shined brightly in the stage lights.

Neither one landed a blow until Rider ducked and pushed Connor away. Holding Connor's sword arm, Rider immobilized him, saying, "What are you doing! Do you realize how long it takes to die on the cross?"

Connor broke free and pushed Rider away, crying, "I don't care!" They came back at each other fiercely, grunting and breathing heavily. The Roman soldiers watched closely, and Caesar stood from his vantage point, smiling at the fight.

Finally, Rider parried a stab from Connor, sending Connor's sword flying away. Connor dove for his sword, but Rider tackled him. The crowd gasped as they struggled for a moment, but finally, Rider immobilized Connor on the ground. "Forgive me, Antonius." He brought his sword down toward Connor at an angle, concealing it from the audience.

Connor went stiff, and Rider let him fall. Connor bit the small packet he'd had inside his mouth, popping it. He made the liquid leak from his mouth and cried out in pain. It was red food coloring in red grape juice, but from the stands, it looked exactly like blood. Defeated, Connor choked out, "I.. Love you, Spartacus, like I loved my own brother."

Rider cradled Connor gently in his arms. "And I loved you, Antonius. You were my best friend." And Connor went still. Rider gently sat him down, and a look of utter despair came over Rider's face. Everything was utterly silent for several moments. Caesar's face dropped – this display had taken some of the enjoyment from the fight. He stepped down from the stairs he'd been on, and two guards followed him into the circle. Rider looked up at Caesar, with pure hatred and contempt. For a few seconds, it seemed Rider would leap at him, but he took a breath and said, "Here's your victory. He'll come back… He'll come back, and he'll be millions!"

Caesar looked around and then back to Rider. "I wonder what Spartacus would say… If he knew Antonius's wife and child were slaves in my household."

Rider blinked and started to say something. He stood up, and two guards nearby restrained him. He blinked, and some of his sadness was gone.

Caesar started to walk away, ordering, "Crucify him."

The lights on the stage went dark, and that was the end. A shorter act than the rest, but it was necessary. The crowd stood and applauded. After several seconds, the lights came back up, and Connor stood up. Connor, Rider, and Caesar went to the front of the stage, bowing. The director came back over the speakers. "Ladies and Gentlemen, continue applauding for the rest of our cast." All the other actors and the crew came out in front of the stage to bow.

"The theater club thanks you, the audience, for buying tickets and attending the play, and we would like to name our cast, from the main characters down to the extras and the crew. These names can be found in your program as well." She started reading off names. Connor and Rider stood back up, Rider kissed Connor on the cheek, and they clasped hands over their heads when their names were called, bowing together once again. Connor felt himself blushing from the smooch as the director tiresomely announced the names of the nearly two hundred cast members and thanked the audience for their support once more before it was over.

Once the audience dispersed, everything blurred together for Connor. In the next few hours, he helped stow away the props and clean up the stadium, and then afterward, the night became a celebration with the rest of the cast.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 **Later that night,** Greg woke up to a call from Romeo. "Greg?"

Greg grunted back. "hmm?"

Romeo sounded distressed. "I need your help. Something funny is going on up here. I've got Amaya awake already, and she's waking up Connor. Something is wrong with the ship."

Greg rubbed his eyes tiredly and sat up. "Alright. How can I help?"

Romeo said, "Throw on your slippers, and I'll teleport you aboard the ship."

Greg stood up and sighed. "Alrighty."

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 **Ten minutes later,** Romeo looked up as Amaya stepped off the transporter. "Ah, you're here. Greg, open the comm line to HQ." Greg nodded and clicked a few buttons. There was a click, and Romeo said, "Connor, you on?"

Connor's voice tiredly came over the line. "Yep. Catboy here. What's the issue up there?"

Romeo said, "Good. We're experiencing some strange behavior with power systems... Energy generation is at a 3% deficit and increasing..."

"That's odd." Amaya squinted and walked over to a console as Romeo and Greg continued examining their console.

"Yeah, the main power return is acting unusual, but everything seems–" Romeo was interrupted when a quiet alarm sounded, and Amaya raised an eyebrow.

Amaya looked at her console and mumbled, "The sensors indicate... That we're being bombarded by a field of intense radiation!"

Romeo's eyes widened. "Shields up!" He looked up at the Anomaly and then back to Greg and Amaya.

Greg tapped a few commands and nervously observed, "Shields up... Energy loss is increasing. 9%."

Amaya cried, "The radiation bombardment is unaffected. It must be something aboard the ship." She tapped a few buttons and exclaimed, "I've got it localized... It's on the bridge."

Romeo poked his chin and picked up his coffee mug. "I wonder if it's one of our artificial gravity plating units... Robot is up there." He tapped a button on a console. "Romeo to Bridge. Robot, check the deck plating up there. I think we've got a radiation leak in one of the gravity panels."

Robot replied over the intercom, "Yes, Master. I believe I can pinpoint the issue. There is an area of high thermal energy near the auxiliary communications panel."

A louder alarm sounded, and the computer declared, "Danger! Lethal radiation levels! Fatal exposure in twenty minutes."

Over the intercom, Catboy said, "That doesn't sound good…"

The three of them exchanged nervous looks before Romeo said, "Uh... Prepare to cut power to the bridge. This definitely isn't good, whatever it is."

Amaya nodded and said, "Alright, Greg, grab a screwdriver, we'll have to take a panel off the wall."

Greg nodded as he started toward the toolbox, and the last thing Romeo remembered was a bright flash coming from the console next to Greg and then a loud rushing sound.


	33. Disaster

The next thing Romeo remembered hearing was a quickly repeated alarm buzzer – _the hull had been compromised._ That's not good. He quickly gathered himself mentally and croaked out, "Damage report." Romeo picked himself up from the ground, dusting debris from the explosion off himself as he did. Greg and Amaya groaned as they began to move.

Romeo eyed his coffee cup on the ground for a moment; it was shattered, and coffee was splattered all over the floor. He looked around and saw blood dripping from his hand. He must have cut it on the cup. He forcefully shouted, "Damage report!"

Greg, bleeding and dazed, sat up from the ground, covered in debris from an exploded console. He sat up and punched a few buttons on his console. "Direct hit, deck one... The... The primary computer system is down, but the emergency backup is coming up... There's a small hull breach on the bridge, and the power grid is leaking plasma up there, too."

Romeo rubbed his head and said, "Is the emergency bulkhead in place?" Greg nodded. Romeo looked over at Amaya and continued, "What the hell happened?"

Amaya was picking herself up, now. "Romeo, it doesn't matter. Look! We have to get to the fusion core!" She pointed at a screen nearby.

Romeo looked at the sensor readings and took a haggard breath. The fusion core's pressure was... "Holy shit." Romeo thought for a few seconds. "Greg, try to re-establish our computer link with my lab, I need Jarvis back! Amaya, with me, quick!" They ran toward the ladder. "Prep the escape pod, too, Greg. We might not be able to fix this!"

As they descended the ladder, they heard Greg shout, "I got it! Getting a ground link with the lab, but it'll take a minute!"

An alarm klaxon sounded, followed by a female computerized voice saying, "Warning! Damage to fusion core. Initiate emergency procedures."

As they reached the bottom of the ladder, Romeo ran, and Amaya followed as she called out, "Computer, situation analysis!"

The computer replied, "Estimate containment failure in 4 minutes, 18 seconds."

"Son of a bitch! The explosion must have knocked a control rod out of place," shouted Romeo. He and Amaya both uttered a steady string of curses as they ran toward the engine room.

They heard a comms-line click over the intercom. Greg said, "Connor, mayday! Are you still there? This is the _Jenolan_ , we have an emergency!"

Romeo hit a button on a panel and muted the intercom as they entered the engine room, where the fusion core was whirring ominously. All manner of warning lights flashed on and off as Romeo and Amaya looked at readings on the consoles near the metal shell encasing the fusion engine. After several seconds, Romeo said, "Alright, we can fix this, but we've gotta go fast! You handle the magnetic containment field, and I'll replace the control rod!" Everything blurred together after that.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 **Back on the ground,** Catboy was in PJ Masks HQ, pulling on his spacesuit. "Greg, this is PJ Masks HQ. What the hell happened? I heard an explosion and lost contact with you a minute ago!"

Over the speakers, alarm sirens now filled the background as Greg's voice replied, "We… We don't know. The bridge has been hit and is open to space. We were on deck two, luckily, and I've got an escape pod ready. The fusion engine might go critical in a few minutes; Romeo and Amaya are working on it. Can you and PJ Robot pilot HQ to space by yourselves? We might need you."

Catboy finished putting on his suit, and continued, "Yes, PJ Robot has already started the emergency plan. We'll be ready to launch in 3 minutes."

Greg coughed over the line. "Okay. We don't have that long... We actually might need you to launch the PJ Seeker instead to recover our escape pod. Standby…" Greg groaned in pain. "Ah, fuck that hurt... Even if we do get the fusion engine repaired, Amaya looked hurt fairly bad, and I think… No, I'm pretty sure that I've broken my wrist. We'll still end up down there wounded. Hang on, let me check something..." He was silent for a few moments and cursed. "Dammit! Romeo's Robot was on the bridge."

Catboy was nervous as he ran back over to his console in Owlette's HQ Room. "Gotcha. PJ Robot and I are ready for whatever you need."

Greg's voice broke up over the audio feed as he said, "Jeez, this is a mess. Standby, Connor. I'm gonna go below and check on them. This doesn't look good. I'll be back in a minute."

Catboy replied, "Okay, please be careful!" He heard only alarms and static in the background.

A computer voice sounded amongst the clamor over the comm-line. "Warning! Damage to fusion core. Containment failure in two minutes, thirty seconds." Chills ran down Connor's spine as a loud alarm klaxon sounded.

Catboy nervously clicked his communicator and told PJ Robot what was happening. Once he finished, he said, "Prep the PJ Seeker for spaceflight, PJ Robot. I have a bad feeling about this..." The little robot beeped his understanding, and Catboy took a nervous breath. There was nothing he could do except listen at this point. It was all up to Amaya, Romeo, and Greg.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 **On the _Jenolan,_** Romeo and Amaya breathed a sigh of relief as Greg ran into the engine room. "Is it fixed?"

Romeo nodded. "Yeah…"

Amaya wiped the blood from her arm and looked at Greg's wrist. "Greg, your wrist."

Greg nodded. "Yeah, I know. It's broken. Robot was on the bridge, we've gotta do something!"

Romeo's heart almost stopped, but he took a few breaths. "He's probably okay… Jarvis, you with us?"

The British computer voice responded, "Yes, sir."

Romeo rubbed his head. "Locate Robot and use the transporter to beam him down to the lab."

Jarvis replied. "Standby… I have located Robot. He has been retrieved."

An electrical arc zapped through the room, and a loud hissing sound started from one of the pipes nearby the fusion engine. Romeo whirled around to look, and there was a white cloud fuming forth from it. Coughing, he said, "Coolant leak! Everyone out!"

Greg and Amaya went out of the room, but Romeo held back. He grabbed a roll of tape nearby and ran over to the pipe fitting that was leaking. Amaya yelled, "Romeo! Get out of there, we've gotta seal the engine room!"

Romeo quickly wrapped tape around the leak several times before it stopped. Holding his breath, he wrapped it further, and then wound his way out of the room, fumbling dizzily through the white clouds of coolant vapor. Amaya grabbed him once he was near the door and said, "Stupid!" She dragged him from the room and said, "Jarvis, seal the engine room!"

The door slammed closed behind them. Greg was coughing hard, "The coolant managed to get out, we've gotta go!"

The acrid gas stung Amaya's eyes, and she nodded. "To the escape pod! There's one by Romeo's office."

The three of them stumbled their way down the hallway, and Greg broke a glass case with his good hand and hit the red button inside. A mechanical iris opened up, and they all crawled into the tight pod. Once they were in, Amaya hit a button and sealed the hatch again. They breathed easier now, and Romeo screamed, "Fuck!"

After a few minutes, they had calmed down and could breathe right again. Amaya said, "Jarvis, can you clean up the atmosphere on Deck 3?"

"Yes, but it will take at least an hour. Perhaps you 3 should return in the escape pod. The fusion core is in low power mode, and retrieving Robot used most of the power reserves. I cannot use the transporter to return you at the moment."

Amaya looked at Greg and Romeo, both of them in bad shape. She said, "Understood, Jarvis. Strap in, you two. We're getting the hell out of here."

Greg panted, saying, "I'll need help." Amaya nodded and reached over to help Greg with his safety harness.

Once Romeo and Greg were strapped in, Amaya put her harness on, and she tapped a button on the panel. "PJ Masks HQ, this is escape pod 3, come in."

Catboy replied over the line, "Oh, thank goodness! I was worried. What's happened?"

"No time to explain. We're abandoning ship. I'm launching an escape pod. Greg and Romeo are in bad shape." She looked at a touch screen opposite her and tapped a few options. "We're aiming for landing zone kappa, come get us."

Catboy replied, "Understood, PJ Robot and I are waiting."

Amaya took a deep breath, and then fixed her glasses. "Hang on kids, this might be bumpy!" She pulled a big lever, and the pod launched, pinning them all to their seats.  
~


	34. The Icarus Factor

New chapter! I hope to have another one out before too long! :)

* * *

Greg groaned in pain, tears streaming from his eyes as he leaned back against the seat. His adrenaline rush had worn off after the landing, and his arm hurt terribly. He looked at the escape hatch above him, with the moon shining in. "Greg, Catboy is here! Are you okay?"

The pod had landed softly on its side against a tree. Greg gritted his teeth and said, "I'll live!" He barely listened as Connor, Romeo, and Amaya talked outside. Amaya and Romeo had been able to climb out of the pod, but with his wrist broken, Greg couldn't make his way out.

The pod shook, and Greg looked up. Catboy was perched on the edge of the hatch. "Hey, man. I've got an idea, okay? PJ Robot is gonna come to help you out." Greg nodded. Catboy frowned. "I know it hurts, but it's gonna be okay." Greg sobbed and held his head with his good hand.

Catboy jumped down, and Greg closed his eyes, waiting for PJ Robot. After a minute or so, Greg heard a small voice say, "Greggy!"

His eyes shot open. "Finn!" The little one was being lowered down gently by PJ Robot.

Finn smiled. "Connor told me you was hurt. Are you okay?"

Greg sniffled. "Yeah, I'll live. I broke my wrist helping Romeo with his spaceship." Finn's feet touched the ground next to Greg, and he let go of PJ Robot. Greg continued, "Remember, you came up there with us one time?"

Finn nodded. "Yeah. It was cool!" He looked down at Greg's broken wrist and said, "Does it hurt?"

Greg laughed lightly. "Yes. Really bad. I've been crying since we landed."

Finn patted Greg's cheek. "Is okay. Can I help?"

Greg nodded lightly, saying, "Please do. I'll buy you two candy bars tomorrow."

Finn put his hand on Greg's cheek. "Don't hafta buy me anything… I just wanna help." He paused and looked at Greg in the eyes. "This might not feel good… okay?" Greg put the sleeve of his long-sleeve shirt into his mouth, bit down on it, and nodded. Finn took a deep breath and said, "Vimanil."

Greg's face twisted into a soundless howl. It was like ice water racing through his body as his skin crawled. The boys held their positions for nearly half a minute. Sweat poured from Greg's forehead, and his face turned cherry red. Finn finally took a breath in and said, "D...Done." Finn's face was ghostly pale.

Greg quickly grabbed him and let out a groan of pain. "Good job, buddy." He tested out his newly healed arm. Everything seemed normal. No more pain, but he did feel some fatigue. "Are you okay?"

Finn shivered in Greg's arms. "Your arm was bad… I…" He panted for a few seconds. "I'm tired… And my tummy hurts."

The pod rocked as Catboy landed on it. "Did it work, Greg?"

Greg looked up and said, "Yeah. It seems like Finn really used up a lot of energy fixing me, though."

Catboy smiled. "It's okay. I brought him a chocolate bar. I've seen his power make him tired before, I figure it might help him."

Greg replied, "Good idea. Get him a blanket from the PJ Seeker, he's shivering like crazy." Catboy nodded and jumped off the pod. Greg rubbed Finn's back gently for a few moments. "Hey, Finny? I'm gonna have PJ Robot pick you up, okay? I can climb out on my own, thanks to you."

Things went on quickly once Greg was out of the pod. He was tired and remembered everything in short flashes. Once Finn had eaten the chocolate that Connor brought for him, he healed Amaya and Romeo next. They weren't as severely injured as Greg, thankfully. The team all went home for the night. Greg's clearest memory after getting out of the escape pod was when he and Finn snuck back into their house, and the little one fell asleep in Greg's arms.

⁂⁂⁂

The next day, it was Saturday. Amaya and Romeo worked diligently to repair Romeo's Robot throughout the day, and late that afternoon, they succeeded in restoring the Robot to its normal state. Now, it was time to fix the Jenolan.

Greg and Connor walked into Romeo's underground lab just as night was falling. Romeo and Amaya looked up from a table where they were having a late lunch. They waved quietly as Connor said, "Yo."

Romeo wiped his mouth and replied, "Heyo." He gestured for the boys to sit down.

Greg sat down. "So, how is Robot?"

Amaya finished the sandwich she had been munching on and said, "Robot is fine. We had to replace his battery, so we've got him charging in the electronics room." She wiped her mouth and said, "So, we have news… Jarvis has lost contact with the Jenolan."

Connor sat down, now, asking, "What does that mean? Do we know why?"

Romeo took a drink from his water bottle. "Jarvis told us a communications relay the reason for the malfunction, but that the ship's life support and power systems were normal. We can use my teleporter to go back up to the ship."

Amaya added, "But there is an added wrinkle. We're not sure why, but the Anomaly is giving off a high amount of neutrino radiation. Nothing dangerous, but it is definitely higher than usual… Which means something's going on with it."

Greg tapped his chin. "So… We'll have to be careful when we teleport up, right?"

Romeo nodded. "Yep. We don't think anyone is aboard the ship, but just in case… We're teleporting aboard armed, and we think Connor should be on standby in the HQ. In case we need rescue."

Amaya stood up and stretched tiredly. "Ready?"

Greg and Connor nodded. Connor stood up and said, "Seems like a solid plan. Are you two taking a communicator with you?" Amaya nodded. "Leave its video feed running and start a call with HQ. I'll monitor you guys that way. Call me in a second." He brought his hand down onto his power bracelet and transformed into a blue flash, causing a woosh of air behind him as he made his way to HQ.

Greg stood up, too, and studied the look on Romeo's face. "Romeo? You seem nervous…"

Romeo's face changed. "Oh, it's nothing. Just wondering if this was my fault. I rushed the gravity plating." He sighed and then smiled. "The good news is, there is still a weakened version of Jarvis running on the Jenolan when it's comm link with the main lab is down. He'll be helpful to have around."

Amaya started a call with her communicator. "Come on, guys, let's get ready!"

⁂⁂⁂

 **15 minutes later,** everything was ready. They teleported aboard the Jenolan, and the room was darkened. Something felt wrong, though.

Greg reacted first, "Get down!" He went to draw the freeze ray he had been equipped with, but too late. Something–a blurry figure–smashed into him before he could grab the weapon.

Romeo's neck prickled as he heard the sound of something charging next to his ear, from behind him. A familiar voice slowly said, "Surrender. Or die."


	35. Conundrum

The plot thickens... Considerably.

 **TRIGGER WARNING: GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF VIOLENCE AND MENTION OF DEATH/SUICIDE.** READER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED!

* * *

Romeo held still, his heartbeat racing. The voice spoke again. "Choose now."

A smile crept across Romeo's face. He said, "I knew when you first visited us that you weren't what you seemed. Wanna know how?"

"Go ahead." The barrel of some sort of ray gun brushed Romeo's neck, and the sound of Greg struggling on the ground behind them was heard.

"You see, Roman… I've never heard anyone call Cortes a great explorer. He was one, of course, but most people just call him a conquistador." Pause. "We surrender."

Roman chortled. "A clever observation, but that's to be expected from my own counterpart. A smart choice. Drop your weapons and kick them across the floor." Romeo and Amaya did as they were told. "Loki! Tie up the girl, too, then take their weapons and turn on the lights."

An emotionless voice replied, "Yes, master." Amaya felt a pair of cold hands grab her wrists and cried out as her arms were tied behind her. She was placed in a sitting position by the wall, next to Greg, who was groaning quietly.

Romeo and Roman remained in their positions. Romeo was totally at Roman's mercy. As the lights came back on, Roman said, "If you can guess why I'm here, I'll let you join me, Romeo."

Romeo snorted. "That's easy. You're here to take over my Earth. I'm sure the explosion on the ship yesterday was your fault, somehow. What've you done to my ship?"

Roman lowered his weapon. "Correct on all accounts. I needed to get you off the ship, so a diversion was arranged by one of my helpers. I hope your Robot was able to be repaired."

Romeo stepped forward and turned around. "Oh, yes. It took us a few hours, but he is in working order now."

Roman was a mirror image of Romeo, just with different colors. White hair with a black stripe, the burgundy lab coat, and topaz green eyes. "Do you want to rule the world with me, Romeo?"

Romeo looked over toward Roman's android, Loki. The android's skin had a strange orange tint to it, and his irises were a startling shade of red. He had black hair in a crew cut and was clothed in a plain black jumpsuit. He looked back at Roman. "I assume you have experience taking over the world?"

Roman nodded. "This one would be my third. It's really pretty easy, with nobody in your way. Right now, I have a working group of tiny droids finishing the rebuilding of the first floor of this ship into an energy weapon capable of vaporizing entire cities."

Romeo rubbed his chin and looked around the room. "Before I answer your offer… Answer one more question. How did you cause the explosion?"

Roman smiled. "A tiny robot that came through the Anomaly with me when I first visited. It slowly worked for the last few weeks to create a feedback loop in your gravity plating systems on the bridge. The bot was built to be invisible to your sensors."

Romeo nodded and paced around. "Very well. I'll join you." He reached his hand out, and Roman shook it.

Roman grinned sadistically. "Good. You can start by helping me rewire the power systems to feed the weapon better."

Romeo nodded and then looked over at Greg and Amaya. "You forget one thing. We have one PJ Mask still on the loose. He's in their HQ now." Greg and Amaya's faces both dropped at that; they had thought Romeo was just playing along. "I'm sure Loki could tidy up that loose end."

Roman was collecting the weapons that Greg, Amaya, and Romeo had brought with them. He placed them all in the pockets of his lab coat and responded by raising his eyebrows. "Hmm... Is that so?" He looked over at Loki. "Loki, let's teleport you down there. I'm sure you can keep up with him. Capture him if you can. I just want him neutralized. Only kill him if you must. Understand?"

Loki went to the transporter pad. "Yes, Master. I shall neutralize him."

Romeo typed on the controls, programming in a sequence to send Loki down. Greg shouted, "You traitor!"

Romeo ignored him, and instead energized the teleporter. Loki dematerialized. Romeo looked over at Amaya and Greg with a smile. Amaya quietly said, "Et tu, Bruté?"

Romeo shrugged at the Shakespeare quote. "When in Rome, Amaya, do as the Romans do." He turned toward Roman. "Now, about those power system changes…"

⁂⁂⁂

Back at PJ Masks HQ, Catboy had been listening to everything over Amaya's communicator. He muted the microphone on his end, so he didn't accidentally give away the fact that she had her communicator on her. "Alright, PJ Robot, Loki is somewhere near HQ, we don't have time to blast off. I need you to go hide, okay? If you see an opportunity to help me, do it, else, stay hidden! Go!" PJ Robot flew quickly toward one of the elevators.

Catboy said, "Okay, good… Computer! Initiate automa–" A giant crash shook the HQ, and there was a hole in the wall. Just inside of it was the android Loki. "Argh, dammit, Romeo! Computer, intruder alert!"

"Computer lockout mode initiated."

Loki stood there, crouched, and ready to jump. Catboy's heart was pounding hard. They stared at each other for a few seconds, sizing each other up. Finally, Loki jumped at Catboy, who was shocked at the android's speed. Catboy did a backflip and bounced back to hit Loki's face with a kick. Catboy exclaimed, "OW!"

Catboy bounced back, hopping on one leg. Loki must have been made of something substantial because he didn't even budge when Catboy hit him. Loki grinned savagely, and Catboy's eyes darted around. "Guess I can't fight, then, huh?" Catboy shot out of the hole in the HQ wall, followed closely by Loki. _He had to come up with a plan and quick._

⁂⁂⁂

 **15 minutes later,** aboard the _Jenolan,_ Romeo and Roman were making progress on their upgrades. Romeo stood up from where he was working. "Done."

Roman looked over at Romeo. "Good. I should be done as well in a few moments."

Romeo sat down in a chair at a console. "I do have some questions for you, Roman. You said this would be the third time you've taken over the world… What compelled you to take over the second one in the first place? And why a third one now?"

Roman dusted off his hands as he finished his work. "Simple, really. I took over my Earth when I was 8. My policies were… Not smart. The invention that I used to take over the planet ended up causing a series of major disasters in the years after I forced the world to surrender to me. The planet was on its way to becoming uninhabitable, and I couldn't stop it. Many of my subjects died. I decided to build a ship, not dissimilar to this one, and investigate finding other universes." He sat down at another console and paused for a moment.

"After a few months, I accidentally created a dimensional rift, similar to you. The same thing you call the Anomaly. I found if I manipulated it just right, I could connect with other universes with others like you and I that had also discovered how to make them. I found one such universe where it wasn't an alternate version of us that discovered it, but some other intrepid scientist. I invaded his lab… and neutralized him. From there, taking over his planet was relatively simple." He smiled wistfully. "The scientists' name was Leo. Nice man. I hated that I had to kill him when he tried to stop me." Roman typed at the console.

Romeo's chest tightened at that statement. "Why did you move on from that Earth?"

Roman said, "I didn't sufficiently demoralize the people on that Earth enough. They rose up against me about a year ago. I realized about half a year ago that my forces wouldn't be able to stop them without throwing the planet into a nuclear winter. So, I started toward finding a new universe, and yours was the one I settled on. I spoke to many alternate versions of us, but I realized that you were the one most likely not to betray me at some point. And, that's why I'm here now."

Romeo laid back, tapping his toe in his shoe idly. "I see. Well, you chose wisely. There will be no deception from me."

Roman smiled. "Good." He stopped his typing and said, "My firing program is done. First, we must take out the American and Russian capitals. Do that, and the rest of the world generally listens closely to your demands. Luckily, from orbit, that will be a fast process. The main holdup will be having to wait for the positron cannon to recharge after we vaporize the American capital buildings in Washington, D.C. Still, it will only take 18 minutes to recharge. Barely enough time for anyone to realize that it wasn't some sort of freak meteor strike, and definitely not enough time for them to find us. It will even disrupt their communications technology for us."

Romeo was quiet for a moment, thinking as he tapped his toe. He stopped and replied, "You seem to have this all planned out. How do we start?"

Roman chuckled. "We wait. I've already programmed the firing sequence. We'll be in position above the city soon. I've programmed the thrusters to navigate us into position above our target."

Romeo bit his lip for a moment. "The weapon is already charging?" Roman nodded. "Good. Now, you must tell me more about your other two planets."

⁂⁂⁂

 **Back on Earth,** Catboy was growing tired and had gotten a few cuts and scrapes from Loki at this point. He had just managed to form a plan in his head when his communicator clicked on. "Catboy?"

Catboy was surprised when he heard Romeo's Robot. He ducked under a flying kick from Loki and ran up the side of a building. He touched his hear and quickly said, "Robot!"

In his ear, Robot spoke. "Hello. Your PJ Robot has contacted me about your situation. He has a plan. My battery is not yet fully charged, so I cannot chase this Loki Android." Catboy dodged another swipe and jumped toward the wall of a tall building nearby, then onto the roof next to it. "However, if you can lead him into the courtyard of the museum, I am there now, waiting with your PJ Robot to spring a trap on him. We await you."

Catboy smiled. That plan was way better than the one he had just come up with. Looks like PJ Robot saves the day, this time! The hard part was going to be getting Loki over there. The museum was on the other side of the city. Catboy perched on a balcony and shouted, "Y'know, you're not as fast as I thought!" He leaped from the spot just as Loki got there. Back on the ground, he taunted, "Catch me if you can, loser!"

He continued leading Loki toward the museum for several minutes until finally, they were nearby. Catboy was exhausted, and it showed. Loki managed to land a kick on him as Catboy turned a corner, and the hero flew into a parked car. The car's alarm went off, but Catboy shakily got back up just in time to dodge a punch. "Good one! You almost had me that time!" Panting and in pain, he ran through the gate into the museum courtyard. He looked around frantically – he couldn't keep this up much longer.

He ran in circles around the courtyard, followed by Loki. Finally, they passed by a tree, and it looked like Loki was going to manage to catch Catboy. Robot's extendable arms sprung on Loki, and the android was trapped–the plan had worked. Catboy didn't know what they had planned, but he got out of the way. "PJ Robot, NOW!"

A beam of light hit Loki from inside a nearby bush. The android's movements were slowed, and Catboy said, "The Go-Slow Ray! Never thought I'd be thankful for that thing." We jogged over the Loki, who slowly swung at him. He dodged it easily. "Robot, can you disable this angry android?"

"Affirmative." Robot emerged from behind the fence, lifting Loki into the air. He used his arms to crush the android, scattering electrical components around the courtyard.

Catboy breathed easy and rubbed his shoulder that had collided with the car earlier delicately. "Thank goodness." PJ Robot flew out of a bush carrying the Go-Slow Ray and approached Catboy. "Good work, guys. Uh… PJ Robot, HQ has a big hole in it… I don't think we can take it to space without fixing that… Agreed?" The little robot beeped affirmatively. "Alright, remember yesterday, when I said prep the PJ Seeker for spaceflight? Is it still ready?" Again, PJ Robot agreed.

Catboy rubbed his head now. "Okay. Robot, you stay here and pick up Loki's parts. Make sure he's really out of commission for good, okay? We're gonna fly to space and save the day." Catboy wasn't sure if he could trust Robot and knew he wouldn't fit aboard the PJ Seeker anyway.

Robot said, "Understood. Please take care of my Master, Catboy."

Catboy nodded, and they ran. Catboy ran alongside PJ Robot. When they were out of earshot, Catboy said, "Did you tell him what Romeo was doing up there?" PJ Robot indicated no, and Catboy said, "Good. I'm not sure if Romeo has actually turned evil again or not, but if he had, Romeo could've proved to be an issue for us."

They went quickly, and once they arrived at the HQ, Catboy unlocked the computer. They resumed listening to Amaya's communicator feed just in time to hear Romeo say, "It looks like we're ready to fire."

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

 **Back aboard the Jenolan,** Roman grinned, and replied, "Indeed. Target is locked."

Amaya said, "Roman, Romeo… Think about what you're about to do. How many people you're about to kill. Please, don't. Romeo has proven it, Roman! You don't have to take over the world because of what happened in your past!"

Roman raised an eyebrow. "My past?"

Romeo rolled his eyes and explained, "Oh, my original motivation to take over the world was because my cousin died in a fire when I was almost 6."

Roman chuckled. "Oh. I never had anything like that." He walked over to Amaya and patted her cheek gently. "You see, Amaya, my only motivation has ever been to take over the world. Because I'm better than you. And everyone else." He grabbed her chin forcefully. "Understand?"

Greg shouted, "Take your hands off her!"

Roman snorted as he and Amaya locked eyes with each other. Finally, she growled out, "Go to Hell."

Roman laughed, and Romeo followed suit. Romeo said, "She's feisty, huh?"

Roman let her go and stood up. "They always are at first. Don't worry. We'll break their spirits relatively easily." He walked back over to the console he was at earlier. "Let's get this over with."

Romeo let his gaze hold on Greg and Amaya for a moment before he turned to the big viewscreen, which had an image of the city they were aiming for. "Agreed."

Roman hit a button and said, "Positron cannon firing in 5 seconds."


	36. Necessary Evil

**TRIGGER WARNING: VIOLENCE, MENTIONS OF DEATH!**

Thanks for hanging in there, readers!

* * *

Roman smiled as the entire ship vibrated and hummed with energy. He looked back at Romeo and said, "The entire world will surrender to us within 48 hours, Romeo. You will finally rule this pitiful world." Amaya and Greg just sat there, jaws slack. Romeo had done it.

Romeo replied, "Nothing they can do to stop me this time, huh?"

"Exactly." Then, it stopped. Roman turned around to admire the destruction, but on the big screen, nothing had happened. Roman said, "What the Hell?"

Romeo blinked. "What happened?" He clicked his console. "Check your readings!"

Roman turned around and typed on his console. "We were off target! It just hit the ocean! Dammit!" Roman looked over at Romeo. "You son of a bitch!"

Romeo winked with a fantastic grin. Roman reached for one of the weapons in his lab coat pocket, and Romeo said, "Oh no you don't!" He snapped his fingers, and the console Roman was standing at exploded in his face. Roman was thrown clear and sprawled onto the floor. A second explosion happened near the area of the room where the Anomaly was at, and Romeo grabbed his right arm tenderly as he was hit by shrapnel. "Damn!" Romeo quickly turned around and rushed toward Greg and Amaya, his arm dripping hot blood.

They were both shocked, but Amaya looked relieved as Romeo stood her up and untied her. "You two have to get out of here. Greg is too dazed to help fight, just go!" He pointed to the nearby escape pod. Amaya shakily bent down to untie Greg, who had blood crusted around his left ear from where Loki had tackled him earlier.

Amaya helped Greg up and said, "You really had me going there for a second."

Romeo looked back at Roman; he was getting up. "You two have to go! Quick! Catboy might need you! I'll hold him off, just go!"

They ran over to the pod and got inside like they had with the one yesterday. Romeo didn't follow them, though. Amaya looked at him, horrified at the situation. "Romeo, come on, we can't leave you!" Greg was still in shock from the explosion, but he was beginning to come around.

Roman took out his weapon, and Romeo waved his hands in front of him, grunting at the effort of swinging his injured arm. A forcefield popped up and stopped the energy blast from hitting them. Romeo turned around. "What are you two waiting for? You have to get out of here! Go!" Hot blood trickled down the sleeve of his lab coat when he noticed Greg stirring next to Amaya. "GREG! Pull the eject lever! NOW! _PLEASE!"_

Roman was only a few feet away from Romeo by the time Amaya started to move to get out of the pod. Still, Greg had woken up enough to understand. He shouted, "We'll be back for you," and grabbed Amaya, gritting his teeth as he pulled the lever. Romeo watched Amaya's face twist in despair just as a mechanical iris sealed the hatch. A red light flashed around the panel three times, and then there was a loud boom as the escape pod's thrusters fired.

Roman grabbed Romeo and threw him against the wall he was standing beside. Roman wiped some blood from his mouth and said, "That was… the wrong move, Romeo. You did catch me by surprise, though." He chuckled and punched Romeo in the jaw. "See, what I'm gonna do to you now… Well, you'll be begging for a quick death by the time I'm done." He slammed Romeo's head into the wall. "Understand? And I'm gonna make you watch when I kill your little PJ Pest friends!"

Romeo groaned, blood trickling from his own mouth now. Roman cackled. "For some reason, I had almost hoped you would resist, you know?" He drug Romeo with him, and about halfway to the console he was walking toward, Romeo got loose.

Romeo stood up and punched Roman back, making the boy drop his weapon. Romeo said, "Well, you're getting your wish!"

⁂⁂⁂

Greg and Amaya were both in shock as the pod re-entered the atmosphere. Greg kept repeating, "Holy shit." Romeo had almost let thousands of people die, and Greg was powerless to do anything. Crap, that was the closest the gang had come yet to allowing something this terrible to happen. This was serious. It wasn't the playground, petty bullshit they were used to with their villains.

Amaya watched her power bracelet on her arm… After a minute or two, it began to glow like normal. "Greg, look! We can transform, we don't have to land the pod."

Greg stopped freaking out and said, "Oh. Well. Let's do it!" He brought his hand down on his bracelet and transformed into a green flash, and Amaya quickly followed suit.

⁂⁂⁂

Back on the ship, Roman had won the fight by a landslide. Romeo lay on the ground, groaning, while Roman typed at a console. "See, Romeo, I'm curious. How'd you cause those explosions and that forcefield to come up? I might just have to swipe the trick you used there."

Romeo coughed on the ground, still out of breath. "Easy… I... Have a special pad in my shoe. I tapped out Morse code instructions to my AI aboard the ship. All the consoles have explosive charges in them… and I told the AI to fire the thrusters just before the weapon fired, to skew our aim."

Roman nodded. "I figured. If it makes you feel any worse, just know that the AI has been deleted. I just found his program. Named it Jarvis, huh? Good name for an AI. We're already back on course for another shot of the positron cannon."

Romeo cursed. "Hoped… you wouldn't find him that easy."

Roman looked down at Romeo and shook his head. "See, it's obvious to me now. I'm better than you, too. You may have had me there for a minute, but the best man is still going to win in the end. You shouldn't have betrayed me." He kicked Romeo on the side. Romeo held on to Roman's leg, though. "Hey, what the–" Romeo pulled the boy's pant leg up, and touched his pinky finger and his thumb to Roman's skin. An electrical current surged through Romeo's glove and through Roman's body. Roman cried out as he was shocked.

Romeo rolled away as Roman fell to the ground, having been tased by a special mechanism Romeo had in that glove. Romeo crawled away quickly. He stopped at a console and turned back on the radio transmitter that Roman had turned off and pushed one more button. He needed Jarvis again, and that meant calling him up over radio link.

He hurried over toward the ladder that went down to deck 3. He was in no shape to do anything to Roman, who was still groaning and incapacitated from the electrical shock. He went down the ladder quickly.

⁂⁂⁂

Gekko and Owlette appeared at PJ Masks HQ. Catboy ran over and hugged them both. "Thank goodness you're alright!" They hugged him back, and he said, "Quick, get your spacesuits. PJ Robot and I fended off Loki, but he put a hole in the HQ."

They looked and were in awe. "Wow," Gekko said.

Catboy pushed them. "Go, quick! We've almost got the PJ Seeker ready to go to space, but we'll need you two to help. It sounded like Romeo is in trouble. We don't have time to dawdle!" They both nodded and hurried to do as he said. Catboy ran off toward the hole in the wall and jumped outside to where he and PJ Robot were getting the PJ Seeker ready. Catboy had a good plan, this time.


	37. Deadlock

**TRIGGER WARNING: VIOLENCE, MENTIONS OF DEATH, SUICIDE!**

* * *

Blood steadily dripped down Romeo's arm as he ran into a closet next to the ladder. "Jarvis, are you with me?"

The British AI replied, "Yessir, I am here now."

Romeo said, "Seal this room. Quick!" Janitorial supplies were in the corner of the poorly-lit closet.

There was a click sound, and the British-accented computer replied, "The door is sealed."

Romeo breathed frantically as he ripped a well-hidden false panel away from the wall. With a pained grunt, he pulled the lever it concealed, and another section of the wall popped open nearby. A quiet buzzer clicked on and off unsettlingly. The fusion core produced an ambient rumbling sound that made the entire ship hum with a soft bassy note. The ambient hum almost muffled the buzzer entirely.

Inside the other hidden panel, there were several yellow and black striped warning labels and two odd screw-like apparatuses. He was in mind-numbing pain from pulling down the lever; tears flowed from his eyes as Romeo started unscrewing a bolt atop one of the screws. Once the pain subsided, Romeo read the header of one of the labels: _FAILSAFE WARNING._ "Jarvis, you know what's going on, right?"

"Yes, sir." Pause. "Catboy and his friends were kind enough to inform me."

"Good. Standby." Romeo quickly removed the first screw-like apparatus and stuck it in his pocket. "Okay, there. Unseal the door, Jarvis." Romeo held onto his arm but still couldn't stop the flow of blood from his wound.

The door clicked again, and Romeo opened it quickly. He walked down the hall briskly. "Jarvis? Thanks for being there for me all the time."

With a semi-optimistic tone, the British computer voice replied, "The honor is to serve, sir."

Romeo walked into a room with a metal desk, a nice chair, and a computer console. There was also a lamp and several kinds of tools scattered on the table. Romeo closed the door behind him, and he took a seat in the chair, he said, "Seal this door, too, Jarvis." He grunted in pain as he moved his injured arm in a way that sent a tinge of agony through his entire body.

"The door is sealed."

Romeo chuckled as he grabbed a hammer on the desk and took the first screw-like apparatus from his pocket. It was only partly metal; on the inside, there was glass with a thin metal ribbon stretching between the ends. In a theatrical whisper, Romeo said, "... _and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"_ He chuckled halfheartedly and then cried out angrily when he used the hammer to smash the device, shattering the glass and destroying the delicate metal ribbon inside. He hit it again for good measure. He smiled. "Jarvis."

"Yes?"

Romeo threw the hammer across the room and asked, "How long until the positron cannon is completely charged?"

"16 minutes, 53 seconds. Be advised, the PJ Masks have just launched on an intercept course for this ship."

Romeo nodded. "Alright." He took a deep breath. "How long until we rendezvous with the PJ Masks?"

"The PJ Masks will intercept the _Jenolan_ in 13 minutes, 52 seconds."

Romeo closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair. "Fuck! I was afraid of that. Even Catboy can't stop all this that fast!" He took a breath and cradled his head with his uninjured arm. Shakily, Romeo said, "Jarvis, eject the other escape pod on deck two if it's empty... Nobody is leaving this ship..."

The ship rumbled, and Jarvis stoically replied, "I have jettisoned the escape pod, sir, but I don't like where this is going."

Romeo took a haggard breath and laughed. He whispered, "Computer." A beep acknowledged him. "Initiate the self-destruct sequence, authorization Romeo-pi-one-nine-zero." A single, quiet alarm buzzer responded.

Instead of Jarvis, a female computerized voice replied, "Identity confirmed. Danger! Disarming relay circuitry has been damaged. Option to abort destruct order is unavailable. Additional authorization is required to arm destruct order."

Jarvis chimed in and said, "I must remind you, now that you have destroyed that fuse, you have permanently disabled the circuits needed to disarm the sequence, sir. If you start it, the auto-destruct sequence _cannot_ be canceled. As a result, you must enter the reserve-code to complete the self-destruct sequence. Are you sure you wish to do this?"

Romeo took a deep breath and typed on the computer console. "I've thought it through, Jarvis. There is no other way. If Roman is allowed to charge that positron cannon, _millions_ will die." He sighed and leaned back in the chair; it had become so cold. Romeo struggled to keep his teeth from chattering. "Computer, the reserve-code is two-alpha-one-bravo."

The female computerized voice replied, "Reserve code confirmed." The lights in the hallway turned crimson red. "Self destruct sequence armed."

Romeo's teeth had begun to chatter now. "S-set destruct sequence for... for fifteen minutes and mute voice warnings." That seemed like enough time to prepare to die, right? Romeo took a deep breath and winced in pain. He whispered, "Engage." The computer beeped.

A _hoooga!_ An alarm klaxon sounded once, and the female computer voice said, "Warning! The self destruct sequence is now activated. Emergency override function is not available." A flashing red countdown timer appeared on the computer screen.

Chills ran down Romeo's neck as he listened to the alarm klaxon continue to bellow once more. His entire body went ice cold. _Was it from the blood loss or because he had just committed suicide?_ He couldn't really tell... Although, there was a strange prickly feeling through his arms and legs that he was sure had something to do with the blood loss.

The female computer voice spoke once more, slowly this time. "Fusion core overload in fourteen minutes, fifty seconds. You now have fourteen minutes to abandon ship. There will be no further audio warnings." The alarm klaxon stopped, but the red lights in the hallway continued to flash ominously.

Romeo found himself feeling darkly amused; in the event of self-destructing the ship, he had always intended to be able to get out on one of the escape pods, which was why he included that warning feature. Fat load of good that did. After several seconds, Romeo tearfully said, "Jarvis? W-will you play that Mozart piece that I like? I might as well die with some nice music in the background..." He decided he didn't like that warning feature... He didn't need to be reminded that he was going to go down with his ship; it wasn't like he was going to just forget about it.

Jarvis replied, "Now playing Mozart Clarinet Quintet, K number 581, in the key of A, movement 1, Allegro." A clarinet began playing a lively tune. It was followed by various string instruments. Romeo struggled to slow his breathing; he was taking rapid, shallow breaths. His heart desperately pounded away in his chest, each beat steadily forcing more hot blood out of the wound on his arm.

The tension on Romeo's face faded slightly. His stomach still felt like a twisty-turny mess, and he could not pin down what emotion he was feeling. After a few moments, he said, "Thank you, Jarvis." He took several shallow breaths; everything around him seemed to be slowly fading. "I could just sleep..."

Through rapid, shallow breaths, Romeo gritted his teeth and said, "No! I can't die like that... Jarvis… Help me find my first aid kit. I have to stop… the bleeding… Gotta talk to the PJ Masks… I have to stay awake. I'm not going to die… like a coward, dammit."

For a minute, with Mozart playing in the background, Jarvis talked Romeo through the process of finding the first aid kit in a desk drawer and applying a hemostatic agent to the wound. Finally, the blood stopped dripping from his arm.

Romeo laughed when he saw that blood coated everything near him; there was a small puddle of it next to his chair, and his pants and shirt were ruined. "Ahh, it's almost like a murder scene in here." He laughed a bit harder when he realized, if the blood loss killed him first, it _would_ be a murder scene. He wasn't sure why he was laughing; everything was just so hazy, and his mind felt… Fuzzy.

Jarvis partly snapped him out of his hazy state. "Master, you mentioned the PJ Masks? Only eleven minutes are remaining in the autodestruct sequence."

Romeo laid back in his chair and willed himself to put his legs up on the desk; he needed to stay conscious. He had to keep the shock from all the blood loss from getting any worse. He replied, "Y-yes... Open a video channel to the PJ Masks, please... I have some things I want to tell them. Like, that they shouldn't approach this ship..."

"Opening channel. Standby."

As Jarvis worked, Romeo vaguely realized what emotions he was feeling in his belly. Regret, anger, and, above all, terror. The icy hand of death drew ever nearer. Not even Mozart could keep that fear at bay. After a moment, a glimmer of hope entered Romeo's heart. _Ralphie, I'm coming home, buddy._

 _⁂⁂⁂_

 _ **On the PJ Seeker,**_ they were halfway into orbit when Gekko said, "What the heck?" There's a pause, and he says, "...Amaya, there's a strange radio message on one of the frequencies you have programmed in, listen."

He clicked play, and a slow alarm buzzer sound repeated over the speakers.

Owlette frowned from her controls. "He's initiated the emergency destruct sequence."

Catboy looked over from his chair. "Oh, no." PJ Robot also appeared distressed, babbling quickly.

Gekko sighed. "Aaaand... Looks like he's calling to tell us."

"Answer it," cried Owlette.

* * *

This is a work of fiction, remember that. There is never any reason that YOU should consider suicide!


End file.
